Whispers In The Dark
by ZTX
Summary: "When someone so important disappears, you don't just feel hurt...you feel like dying." It's been four years. Sven, where are you? FOLLOWS THE MANGA. COMPLETE.
1. 0

Whispers In The Dark

ZTX

8/15/07

Disclaimer: I do NOT own Black Cat.

_Despite the lies that you're making, your love is mine for the taking. My love is just waiting to turn your tears to roses._

_-Skillet, Whispers In The Dark_

Prologue

_I remember it so clearly... as if it happened only yesterday..._

There was a loud rumble. She estimated its force must have been that of a six or seven on the Richter scale. The rumble was followed by a few smaller ones afterward, what she assumed to be the quake's after shocks. She frowned,

_'If this keeps up, it could prove troublesome.'_

"Man! Are we there yet? I think I'm dying of starvation over here..."

Train grumbled, his stomach rumbling even louder than before.

"Just a few minutes more," his lime-haired partner calmly replied.

"You said that an hour ago, Sven."

Slithering down further into his seat, the chestnut-haired man sighed. They'd been travelling across the desert for almost three days now; no height or hair of civilisation in sight. Luckily, Sven had managed to pack food for only _two_ of those days. His stomach growled again, and he sighed, lifting his arms up and latching onto the back of the seat,

"Where are we going, anyway?"

"The city of Cannes," Sven began, cigarette hanging loosely between his lips,

"Word has it there's a bounty there of over 7 million."

"Really! That much, huh! So, who's the guy?"

"A serial rapist, Gerald Chevé. Its been said most of his victims are women and children."

"Then this case is perfect for you, isn't it, Svenny-baby?"

The lime-haired man's eyebrow twitched at the nickname, his teeth grinding,

"_Yes._ As a gentleman, I can't just let his actions go unpunished."

Train smirked at that, groaning in aggravation as his stomach gurgled again. Rolling down the window, he took out Hades, aiming it upward. Sven raised an eyebrow at this, glancing over at him in confusion,

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm gonna shoot down that bird up there. There's bound to be some meat on it-"

"TRAIN, DON'T YOU DARE!"

_I didn't know it then...if only I had..._

Eve calmly turned another page in her book. They had been in Cannes for only two hours, and already Sven and Train were hard at work. Their room was a modest one, the only luxury being the separate bedroom. Sven had made sure that there was an internet connection, however, so that he could scrounge up any information on Chevé that they might have missed. Glancing up at him from her spot on the sofa, Eve put down her book,

"How's it going, Sven?"

The lime-haired man shook his head, sighing deeply,

"Not good. There's hardly any info on Chevé's whereabouts."

The tiny girl stood, gliding over to him to look over his shoulder,

"What's all that?"

"His track record. This guy's wanted on more charges than I can count."

She leaned in closer, her shoulder-length hair bobbing at her shoulders,

"10 counts of armed burglary, 9 counts of auto theft, 13 counts of arson, and 27 counts of rape, all of which double as 27 counts of murder. That's 86 different charges."

Sven blinked silently at the girl; a bead of sweat running down his cheek. The girl then turned away suddenly; picking her cellphone up off of the coffee table as she headed into the separate bedroom,

"I'm gonna go call Leon."

The lime-haired man slouched, his eyebrow twitching violently as he heard the door shut behind her. Snuffing out his cigarette in the ash tray seated beside his laptop, he sighed, the sound of the door bursting open nearby hardly phasing him,

"Any luck?"

Train shook his head, closing the door behind him as headed across the room and plopped down on the sofa,

"Nada. Nobody's talking. Its almost like they think if they spill anything they'll be the next target!"

He set both feet on the coffee table and stretched out, glancing about curiously,

"Where's the princess?"

"She's in the other room."

"Reading?"

"..."

The chestnut-haired man grinned, noting the black aura hovering over Sven,

"Oh, I see. She's talking to Leon, isn't she?"

"..."

"She's at that age you know."

"I _know_."

"Did you talk to her?"

"Actually, she was the one who did all the talking."

Train blinked at this, raising an eyebrow,

"Huh?"

-ø-

_"Eve, I'd like to talk to you about something."_

_The blonde frowned, sitting down across the table from him,_

_"Yes?"_

_Clearing his throat, he raised his head, looking her sternly in the eye,_

_"You're at that age now...well...where you'll start feeling differently about..."_

_His stern gaze was faltering. This was such an awkward thing to talk about with a girl of her age. He almost didn't want to believe that she'd actually grow up and become...a woman._

_"...where you'll start feeling differently about members of the opposite gender-"_

_"Hmm? Are you talking about sex?"_

_His eyebrow twitched as she continued,_

_"I've read all about it in books. There was one, the Kama Sutra, that talked about it in detail. It was interesting. If you're worried that I might plan to try it out with Leon, though, then don't. I don't have any sexual interest in him."_

_-ø-_

They were both silent for a moment, Train finally breaking the awkwardness,

"Man, she's blunt."

"That's an understatement."

At around that moment, Eve stepped out of the bedroom; her head bowed. The chestnut-haired man raised an eyebrow as she sat down beside him; cocking his head to the side,

"What's the matter, Princess?"

She bit her lip lightly; quietly responding,

"Leon..."

Sven's ear twitched at that. He could hear the despairing tone in the girl's voice, and he didn't like it one bit. Had the two been dating, after all?

"...he...he is moving away."

Train straightened at that, his voice laced with brotherly concern,

"Moving?"

She nodded shortly,

"Yes. He was...adopted...by someone Eathes knows."

"Well, that's great, Princess! You shouldn't be upset, you should be happy for him! Man, that kid's really turned himself around-"

"Train."

He glanced over at Sven, who was sternly shaking his head, and coughed,

"Erm...oh."

Swivelling his chair around to face her, Sven sighed, a fatherly look crossing his face as he saw the pain written on her's,

"Do you want to talk about it, Eve?"

She shook her head,

"No. I'm okay with it. Leon will be happy with his new family."

An awkward silence filled the room again; Train scratching his head. He squirmed a little. As if by some miracle, it was at this moment that he remembered something he'd discovered on his inquiry around town. He slapped his palm with a balled fist,

"Hey, guys! I just remembered! There's some kind of festival goin' on in town tonight! I think its for the hot shot new mayor or somethin'. Anyway, I hear they're supposed to shoot off fireworks-"

Eve raised her head instantly, blinking innocently,

"Fireworks?"

She then turned to Sven,

"Can we go?"

Sven frowned, putting his cigarette box to his lips,

"I dunno..."

"Aww, c'mon, Sven," Train began cheerfully,

"The festival would be a great place to gather information! And who knows, maybe Chevé will make an appearance there."

"You just want free food."

"...that _is _always a plus."

The lime-haired man closed his eyes, sighing deeply,

"I suppose we could. If we can nab the bounty and enjoy some fireworks at the same time, then-eh?"

He glanced down at the empty carton in his hand, a heavy feeling settling atop his shoulders. Train raised an eyebrow as the man grabbed his hat, curiously watching him head for the door,

"What's up, Sven? Something happen?"

Sven calmly glanced back at them; the twinkle in his eye making Train feel nauseated,

"A gentleman can never be without his cigarettes."

He then left, Train muttering after him in annoyance,

"_Gentleman_, huh? I'd like to see how much of a gentleman you are when you're speaking through an electronic voice box and eating through tubes in your throat..."

Eve straightened; jumping up and rushing to the door. Throwing it open, she called down him,

"Sven!"

He glanced back at her; raising an eyebrow,

"Yeah, Eve?"

"You promise?"

"...promise, what?"

"That we'll go to the festival," she began; fists clenched tightly at her sides,

"And see the fireworks."

Sven could tell that she was trying her best to keep from crying. He smiled; nodding shortly,

"I promise."

He then turned away from her; heading on down the stairs and out the door. Train stepped out of the room; confused,

"You okay, Princess?"

She said nothing, however, and continued to stare at the doorway that had a moment ago held Sven within it's frame. Due to the hues coming in through the glass, she could infer that it was now dusk...

~ø~

"Here's your change, sir."

"Oh! Thank you..."

Sven stepped out of the small convenience store and immediately whipped out a fresh cigarette; lighting it with a relieved sigh,

"That's better. Now to get back to the room and devise a strategy to lure Chevé out into the open. Like hell I'm going to let Eve be our bait again..."

He started toward the street; frowning as a nearby policeman stepped in front of him,

"Is there a problem officer?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but this section of main street is off limits until tonight's festival. I'll have to ask you to find a different route."

Sighing deeply, Sven headed down the alleyway to his left, hands in his pockets,

"I suppose I'll just have to use a side street, then. Looks like I'll be getting back a little later than I thought."

The alley was a long one. Longer than Sven had anticipated. The sun was setting overhead, and eerie shadows were cast across the rooftops, leaving the byway in darkness. He could hear the soft splash of water as he trekked through small puddles. Metal trash bins crashed nearby; rats picking their way through another day's worth of waste. He stopped then; straightening,

"You gonna tell me who you are, or do I just have to make a guess?"

A soft chuckle echoed all around him and he turned around; eyes narrowing as a slim figure stepped out from the shadows. It was a man with neatly combed, black hair. He wore a suit of grey and an annoyingly brilliant yellow tie. His polished shoes sloshed through the puddles as he stepped closer,

"Very good. You are just as I've heard, International Bureau of Investigations Inspector...Sven Vollfied."

The lime-haired man tensed, clenching his fists,

"What did you say?"

"Or could it be that it wasn't your phenomenal detective skills at work...? But perhaps...it was the vision eye transplanted to you from your dear friend, Lloyd-"

"Who the hell are you?"

The man straightened in surprise at the sudden outburst; smiling apologetically,

"Forgive me! Here I know all there is to know about you and you don't even know my name!"

He extended his hand; offering Sven a warm smile,

"Jonas Warren. I work for a small branch of the political agency...I'm sure you've heard of it through your friend, _Black Cat_...Chronos."

Sven straightened; his eye widening,

_'This guy works for Chronos! What the hell...? Is he after Train? No...that can't be it. I was sure Chronos had finally accepted that Train wasn't a threat...'_

"Chronos, huh? Well, _Jonas Warren_... what is it that you're after?"

Jonas laughed, pulling a sheet of paper from his coat, as well as a pair of glasses,

"I'm actually here to negotiate a deal with you, Mr. Vollfied. You see, Chronos has taken part in a never ending struggle to make the world a peaceful and better place, and given your background and extraordinary powers, I was hoping to-"

"Forget it. I don't make deals with sneaky business men in the middle of dark alleyways. If you want to recruit an army of mindless drones, go someplace else. I'm a sweeper. "

Sighing, Jonas took off his glasses, tucking them back in his coat,

"You see, that's where your wrong. I'm not asking you to join us..."

He pulled out a manila envelope, handing it to the lime-haired man. Frowning, Sven reached in and pulled out a picture of a girl sitting in the window and reading,

_'This is...!'_

"That photograph was taken just 20 minutes ago. I assume you know the girl."

His grip on the photo tightened, his eyes narrowing,

_'Eve...'_

"I have men stationed around the building. I've ordered them to keep a keen eye on XIII and the bio weapon. Any false move by you and I'll give them the order...to execute them both."

~ø~

Eve frowned as she glanced up from her book, _100 Grisly Unsolved Mysteries_. Train was acting strange,

"Train? Is something wrong?"

The chestnut-haired man was standing stock still in the centre of the room, a strange prickling sensation tickling the back of his neck. He headed over to the window, glancing outside cautiously. He couldn't see anything, but this feeling...he couldn't shake it. Someone was watching them,

"Its nothing."

He shut the curtains, then turned and headed back out into the living room,

"I'm gonna go out for a minute. I'll be back soon so you stay here, all right, Princess? And be sure to keep out of the windows..."

The girl tensed at that last part rushing into the other room after him as the door shut,

"Train?"

By the time she made it to the hall, he was gone, the front door flapping freely in the wind...

~ø~

Sven gritted his teeth; forcing a smile as he began to sweat,

"Execute them, huh? You're not much of a negotiator, are you?"

"You've not given me much room to do so."

He swallowed hard. If this guy was serious, any minute he could give out the order and Train and Eve would be... wait a minute. The lime-haired man then began to laugh, Jonas raising an eyebrow,

"What's so funny?"

"You don't know who you're dealing with do you? You try to make me sweat by saying you'll execute Train and Eve? Well, forget it! They could never be outdone...by the likes of you!"

Pulling out a small device from his back pocket, he threw it down; the area becoming engulfed in thick, white smoke. He then turned; sprinting down the alley as fast as his legs could go,

_'If he was telling the truth...I have to get to Eve! I can't let anything happen to her-'_

"And I don't believe you know who _you're_ dealing with, _Mr. Vollfied_..."

Sven's eyes widened as what appeared to be a long, grey tentacle wrapped itself around his leg. He fell forward; landing face first in a muddy puddle. The nearby rats squeaked, scampering away as a brilliant red light was emitted from the smoke cloud.

"If you won't come with me willingly..."

The lime-haired man cursed as he felt himself being dragged backward. With gritted teeth, he clawed at the ground; sweat beading down his face,

_'Damn!'_

He glanced backward as the pulling stopped, eyes widening as he looked up at Jonas. The man's arm had stretched, becoming the grey tentacle that had wound itself around him. The man's eyes were glowing a brilliant red, giving him an almost demonic appearance. Jonas smirked, raising up his right arm,

"Then I'll just have to take you in by force."

His arm began writhing; twisting about like a recently decapitated snake. When it's thrashing was finished, it took the shape of a long, grey spike. Jonas smiled at the fear written on Sven's face, licking his bladed arm,

"Your precious bio weapon isn't the only one with the power of nanotechnology bestowed upon them."

He then angled it toward Sven; shooting it downward toward the man's chest. Sven reached inside his coat.

_**BANG BANG BANG!**_

~ø~

Train cursed as he ran down the street. Sven had been gone for almost an hour now.

_'Maybe he found something on Chevé?'_

The thought didn't help. Even if Sven had found something, he would've come back to devise a strategy. He liked doing that. Making plans and making lots of them, even though no one ever followed them. And he still couldn't shake that feeling that he'd had back at the room. Someone was watching him. Even now they had their eyes on him. But who was it? It couldn't just be a coincidence. Something was wrong.

_**BANG BANG BANG!**_

Train's eyes widened at the sound and he cursed; picking up speed,

_'Gunshots!'_

He followed the sound to an alleyway five blocks away. Straightening, he quietly sauntered down the cobblestone back way; hand readied to draw his gun at a moment's notice. The area was quite foggy. He could feel the sloshing of water beneath his feet.

Then he heard a soft crunch. Glancing down, he frowned, lifting up his foot. It was a small, white box. He knelt down to get a closer look. The box was completely crushed, the cigarettes inside leaking tobacco bits onto the walkway. Wait...

"Cigarettes?"

He then took notice of the strange, watery substance it resided in, and he touched a finger to it; gasping at it's warmth. When he raised his hand up; his heart began to pound. His fingers were covered in,

"Fresh blood?"

He stood back up; glancing about the area. As the fog cleared, he could plainly see that a struggle had taken place here. Trash bins knocked over. Large chunks taken out of the ground and the walls. It was then that he spotted it. It lay just a few feet away from him. The object was completely harmless, but it struck sheer terror into his heart. He bent down and scooped the bloodied, white hat up off of the ground.

He held it tightly; his eyes narrowing,

"Sven..."

He noticed that the trail of blood beneath his feet lead further down the alley and he cursed; following after it. His heart was racing as fast as his feet,

_'Dammit...Sven, hold on!'_

He was lead through a great many streets before he finally reached a series of docks. Following it to the very end of the port, he cursed again. The trail was gone. Glancing around, he swallowed hard; his search becoming frantic,

"Sven! Sven, answer me! Where are you! Sven!"

_"So...you actually managed to get him on board?"_

~ø~

Jonas smiled; his toothy grin a chilling one in nature,

"Yes, Mason. Mr. Vollfied was more than happy to join our efforts...in making this world a better place."

**"That's wonderful. Give him my thanks, would you? At a time like this when war is breaking loose across the country, Chronos is much obliged to receive any help that we can get."**

"Of course, Mason. I'll let him know right away."

He snapped his phone shut then; his grin soon bringing rise to a cackle as the helicopter soared over the murky ocean. Lying on a row of seats across from him was his bloodied and broken captive...

~ø~

Eve sighed deeply as she sat on the couch; arms wrapped around her knees. Her eyes kept focus on her dainty feet as she swished her toes; the sounds of the fireworks going off outside bringing tears to her eyes. It had been hours since Train had left the hotel and even longer since Sven had gone out to buy cigarettes. She bit her lip. Something was wrong. Something had to be wrong.

Upon hearing the door creak open nearby, she smiled in relief; rising from her seat,

"Sven? Is that you? Are we going-?"

She stopped upon seeing Train step through the door; frowning,

"Oh...Train, you're back. Where's Sven?"

There was a look on Train's face that she hadn't ever seen before. Something _was_ wrong,

"Train?"

"Princess..."

He said softly; his voice laced darkly with sorrow and anger. The tiny blonde straightened; her body becoming tense,

"Wh-What is it?"

He said swallowed hard; stuttering,

"Th-There's something...you need to know. I think you should sit back down for this..."

She shook her head in confusion; her eyes widening as she spotted the hat at his side. The blood on it's brim caused her heart to stop.

_"SVEN!"_

**That was the day... that our lives changed forever.**


	2. I

**I**

His eyes shot open suddenly, sweat beading down his face. Another nightmare. Pushing himself up from his bed of fresh green grass, he yawned, rubbing his eyes of sleep. The town always looked so peaceful in the morning...nevermind the fact that he was usually in a different one each day. The peaceful life of a wanderer...that was the life he had chosen. Standing to stretch, he dusted off his khakis and picked up his sack, starting down the hill and into town. His mud-coloured hair fluttered lightly in the breeze, the bleached bits underneath hardly even affected by the wind. A black beanie resting atop his head kept his bangs in place. They battered slightly, but generally kept their place in front of his eye.

Yawning again, he stopped, turning to a nearby building as he pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket,

"Is this the place?"

He slowly glanced back and forth between the sign and the name written on the sheet. Letting out a yelp, he staggered forward, a pair of portly boys brushing by him,

"Watch were yer goin', punk!"

"Yeah, watch it!"

He blinked mutely as they went inside, letting out an aggravated sigh,

"They're the ones that run into me and _I'm_ the punk. What a riot...! Kids these days, man..."

Trudging tiredly up the front steps, he stepped inside, spotting the corpulent couple sitting in a booth in the corner...stuffing their faces with a plate of greasy fries. In watching them, he was immediately reminded of pigs eating from a trough. It made his stomach churn. Shaking his head, he started over to the bar, sitting down on one of the stools. Groaning, he rubbed his eyes. Another headache he couldn't shake, great. Just what he needed right now.

"Welcome to the Cait Sith Café, how can I help you?"

He jumped, nearly falling out of his chair as he laid eyes on the bearer of such an _enthused_ voice. It was a blonde woman around the age of 40...something, maybe older. Laughing a bit in embarassment, he scratched his head, stuttering,

"O-Oh, hi! I didn't see you there..."

She blinked at him, soon becoming annoyed by his silence,

"Look, kid, can I get you something or are you just gonna sit there and look pretty for me all day?"

Gulping harshly, he laughed again, waving her down,

"U-Uh, no...! Actually...I-I came here about the dishwashing job? Is it still available?"

The waitress serving the two boys glanced back at him, blinking in surprise. She had auburn hair that was held back by a red bandanna and brilliant, green eyes. Turning to the boys, she bowed politely,

"Enjoy your meal."

Jogging into the back, she giggled, rushing over to one of her fellow waitresses. This girl had waist-length, blonde-hair and ruby eyes. The auburn-haired girl giggled, hugging her tray tightly,

"Hey, guess what? There's a new applicant in town!"

"A new applicant?"

"Yeah, and he's a hottie, too."

The blonde blinked at her, then continued with her work. As of yet, Annette hadn't hired anyone to replace her as dishwasher,

"That's nice."

Seemingly aggravated, the auburn-haired girl growled, stamping her foot on the ground,

"I'm just trying to warn you, Eve! Someone could easily come along and take your job! And Lord _knows_ I wouldn't mind it if he happened to look good..."

The girl then turned and walked back out into the front, Eve sighing deeply. She gazed at her reflection in the water for a minute, silently setting another dish in to soak.

~ø~

"Sorry, kid. Can't help ya. Our staff's full right now."

"If it helps, I'll take lower pay! I'm very flexible when it comes to...well..._anything_, really. Please ma'am, I really need a job!"

The woman sighed, shaking her head as she wiped her hands on her apron,

"I'm sorry. But like I said, we don't have a place for you."

He groaned as she headed around to the back, sighing deeply as he took out a pen and crossed 'Cait Sith Café' off his list,

"Guess I'll just have to keep looking."

Gazing at the paper, he gritted his teeth, clamping both hands to his head,

"At this rate, I'll never find work! All this stress...it's giving me such a headache!"

Laying his head down on the table, he sniffled, tears flowing down his cheeks,

"Looks like I'll be bed-less forever..."

"This food sucks!"

"Yeah, you said it, Jimmy! But you know...I think I just found something that'll taste a little better..."

He raised up at the sound of a scream, glancing back at the plump pair's table. The thinner of the two was now standing, and had his chunky arms wrapped around the auburn-haired waitress. She squirmed, her bandanna falling from her hair as she tried to wriggle out of his grasp,

"Let go of me!"

"Oh yeah, baby! Move it like that!"

He growled, readying himself to march over there just as the barkeep came rushing back out,

"What the hell's going on out here!"

She spotted the boy hassling her waitress and put out her cigarette in the ashtray on the counter beside her,

"All right, you two, knock it off. I think it's about time you both left."

Another girl stepped out from behind the woman, and he frowned, watching her silently as she strode over to the boys. The barkeep gritted her teeth, muttering softly,

"Eve, don't."

She stopped upon reaching them, her voice soft yet stern,

"Let her go."

The thinner one laughed at that, motioning to his whale-like friend,

"Hey, look at this Jimmy...now there's one for each of us."

The large one, Jimmy apparently, stood, waddling toward her,

"Oh yeah...and she's purdy, too. Heh heh."

The tiny blonde narrowed her ruby eyes as he grabbed her wrist, her face tightening,

"Let go."

The blubbery buffoon grinned, snorting as he tried to pull her closer,

"Aww, c'mon, sweetums! Don't be like that! Don't you wanna go for a spin?"

"I don't. Now, let us go and leave."

Jimmy snarled at that, raising a hand to smack her,

"Wh-What was that!"

"I think the lady told you to leave, fat ass."

The boys stopped, turning their heads in the direction of the boy sitting at the counter. His back was turned from them, Jimmy raising an eyebrow,

"Oh? You say somethin', shrimp?"

He swivelled around, stepping down from the stool,

"As a matter of fact...yeah, I did."

Jimmy growled letting go of her arm as he marched over to the mud-haired boy,

"Then, say it again..."

He glared the smaller boy down, his fists tightening. The boy met his gaze,

"The lady told you to leave. It's impolite to ignore her request."

Eve blinked. This boy...his manners. It reminded her so much of...

The beluga-like Jimmy growled at this, raising his fist,

"Wrong move, pretty boy!"

He thrust it forward, eyes wide when his knuckles collided with nothing but air. The mud-haired boy smiled, Jimmy's wrist in his gloved grasp,

"I'm flattered that you think I'm pretty, but I think it's time you went home, now."

The fleshy boy cursed through his teeth, his eyes burning with rage. He tried again with his other fist, the smaller youth ducking and darting around to the other side of him. His thinner buddy gasped, the waitress now stock still as she watched the scuffle,

"G-Get him, Jimmy!"

"Shut it, Frank!"

The mud-haired boy continued to evade Jimmy's attacks, his grin wide,

"What's the matter, _Shamu_? Can't keep up?"

This comment only further angered the porker, and he swung again, his agile opponent darting around behind him and kicking him out of the restaurant. He tumbled down the steps, landing on his face as he reached the sidewalk. With a huge grin, the mud-haired boy turned to Frank, fists on his hips,

"Well?"

Frank gulped harshly, quickly pushing the auburn-haired waitress away from him. He frantically ran to the door, whimpering like a dog with it's tail between it's legs,

"C-C'mon, Jimmy! Let's go!"

Plucking his buddy up off of the ground, he dragged him on down the street, still whimpering,

"_C'mon_!"

Sighing deeply, the slender youth turned back to Eve and the other girl, smiling slightly,

"You two okay?"

The ruddy-haired one nodded, nearly squealing as she danced over to him,

"Are we 'okay'! Of course we are! Thanks to you, stranger!"

The barkeep nodded, lighting up another cigarette,

"That was some nice footwork, kid. You didn't even break any of the furniture."

He laughed a little, placing his hand behind his head,

"Y-Yeah...I didn't want to have to pay for it, later... unless..."

He dashed up to the counter, slamming both hands down onto it,

"If I had would you have possibly given me a job to pay for all the damages!"

She raised an eyebrow at him, cigarette hanging loosely at her lips,

"You're really desperate for work, aren't you?"

He pathetically slumped forward, his expression pitiful,

"Extremely...!"

"We didn't need your help."

They all glanced over at the blonde, the boy blinking quietly. The ruby-eyed girl spoke again, her fists tightly clenched at her sides,

"We don't need _any_ help."

She then stormed into the back, the barkeep calling after her,

"Eve! Eve, come back here, now! Eve!"

She hurried after the girl, the auburn-haired girl groaning,

"Oi, there she goes, _again_..."

"Is she okay?"

She turned to him, waving him off with a warm smile,

"Oh, don't worry about Eve. She's always like that. You save her butt and she bites off your head."

"Why is that?"

The girl shrugged, heading back over to the corner table to pick up the plates,

"Dunno. She's been like that ever since I met her three years ago. Maybe she hates guys or something..."

He sighed, glancing over at the counter,

"Hates guys, huh?"

~ø~

"Eve! Eve get back here!"

Eve scowled as she stopped at the exit door, pulling off her apron. Underneath she wore a pair of light denim hot pants and a black, scoop-neck shirt. The barkeep huffed as she reached her, folding her arms,

"What the hell was that?"

"Please, don't scold me, Annette. I'm not a child. I simply told him that his help was not needed."

"'Simply', my ass! What you did was rude! You didn't even thank him for what he did!"

"Because I did not need his help."

She hung up her apron, her eyes downcast,

"I don't need anyone's help."

Annette unfolded her arms, sighing deeply as she took her cigarette from her mouth,

"Look, Eve... I know you miss them, but sometimes, things just can't be helped, alright?"

She remained silent.

Shaking her head, Annette patted the girl on the shoulder, heading back to the front,

"Just try to be nicer next time."

She stopped before heading back out, turning to the tiny blonde with a smile as she pulled an envelope from her apron,

"Oh! I almost forgot. You got a letter in the mail this morning."

Eve turned to her, a curious gleam in her eye,

"A letter?"

"Yeah. It's from Train."

Her eyes widened and she rushed over to the woman, quickly snatching it out of her hands. Annette jumped, shaking her hand as she headed back out,

"Geez, cool it, would you? You almost tore my whole hand off..."

Eve hastily tore open the envelope and unfolded the letter, her eyes scanning the chicken scratch on it's surface,

"'Hey, Princess, how's it going? I know I haven't kept in touch lately, but I thought it was about time I gave you an update...'"

~ø~

_**So far ain't always so good. I haven't gotten any leads yet. **_

He sighed, his bike slowly sputtering to a stop. Raising an eyebrow, he tapped at the gas gauge, cursing,

"Dammit..."

Hopping off of the contraption, he shaded his eyes from the sun, glancing around. Desert. It was nothing but desert all around. Groaning, he grabbed hold of the handle bars and began to push it through the compacted sand, sweat dripping down his face,

"If I remember right...Annette's should be...just a few hours from here."

_**Don't worry, though, I haven't stopped looking.**_

~ø~

_'I won't stop till Sven's back with us where he belongs. So chin up! I heard from Annette you were lookin' kinda gloomy. Anyway, I heard you got a new sweeper license. So, you can tango with a B-class, now? Well, I gotta go. Woodney's here and he's got some information for me. I just hope it pans out this time. -Train.'_

Biting her lip, she crumpled the paper in both hands, her eyes clamped shut. Taking a deep breath, she let the letter fall, running out the back door.

~ø~

He sighed as he sipped at his soda. It was hard for him to believe that he'd actually spent all day in this place. Annette had been kind enough to start up a tab for him, so he'd finally been able to get a decent meal in. She'd also lent him a newspaper so that he could look for a job without having to go back out into the heat. No matter where he went, the summers only seemed to get hotter and hotter. Sighing, he tapped his pencil against the table, scanning the classifieds with a groan,

"Nobody seems to be hiring...damn!"

"Hey, kid..."

He glanced up at Annette, who was drying the beer glasses behind the bar,

"Yeah?"

She snuffed out her cigarette in the ashtray on the countertop, sighing,

"If you still can't find anything, why don't you go down to city hall tomorrow and get yourself a sweeper license? I wouldn't normally suggest it to a kid like you, but since you seem so desperate for money I thought I'd mention it."

He lowered his head, his bangs shadowing his face,

"Thanks but no thanks, ma'am. Becoming a sweeper is the _last_ thing I want."

She straightened at his sudden response, frowning slightly,

"You okay?"

Bringing his head up again, he offered her a smile and climbed out of the booth,

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine!"

Rolling the paper up under his arm, he bowed to her before heading for the door,

"Thank you for your help, ma'am. And I swear, as soon as I have the money, I'll come back and pay for my tab."

He latched onto the handle, eyes widening as it suddenly burst open and knocked him backward onto the floor. A man stood in the doorway, his whole body covered in dust. He had chestnut hair and wore a white shirt underneath his black, leather jacket. His boots clunked heavily against the wood flooring as he trudged inside, sand falling off of him like snow from a cloud. He didn't even make it to the counter before he collapsed in a heap on the floor, raising up a little white flag,

"Annette, stick a fork in me, I'm done...!"

She scowled down at him, lighting up a new cigarette,

"You're pathetic, Train."

Then she glanced down at the floor, her eyebrow twitching,

"Great, now my bar is a mess! What, did you bring the whole desert with you when you came inside!"

"I'll clean it up for you ma'am!"

She tensed, raising her gaze to the muddy-haired boy who for some reason still happened to be there. He gave her the nicest smile he could muster, his lip ring shimmering in the light,

"If it helps to pay off my tab!"

His smile was so sickeningly sweet she almost felt like vomitting. Sighing deeply, she turned, heading for the back room,

"Fine! If it'll get you to shut up then you can mop the floor..."

Clenching his fist tightly, he leapt into the air, cheering joyfully. He then leaned in toward the heap that was Train, dust clouds rising as he patted him lightly on the back,

"Thanks, man. You have no idea how hard it was to get her to let me work here. I totally owe you one."

"Y-Yeah...anytime..."

"FOR THE LAST TIME, YOU'RE NOT WORKIN' HERE!"

-**10 minutes later-**

"So, how's the search going?"

Train sighed as he chugged down another glass of milk, setting the cup back on the counter,

"Not good," he began, his grip on the glass tightening,

"The information I got from Woodney was a bust yet again."

"Again? Why do you keep going back to that guy?"

"'Cause he's super-special awesome!"

She groaned as he laughed, staring at him blankly.

He sighed then, gazing into the bottom of the glass,

"I guess...I guess its 'cause I wanna believe that one of these times he'll be right."

The muddy-haired boy stopped a moment, glancing over at Train silently as he continued,

"I just don't get it though...four years and not a single lead? Even the GPS doesn't pick anything up. It's almost like Sven just disappeared right off the face of the Earth! No trace left..."

Annette sighed, pouring more milk into his cup,

"You know, Train...I know you don't want to hear this, but...why don't you just give up? It's not healthy...living like this. You keep your hopes high, but what when you find out the truth? Face it, Train...after all this time...Sven can't possibly be-"

"Don't say it, Annette."

His expression darkened, his eyes downcast,

"Don't. Sven's alive. If he weren't, I would know it."

Sighing again, she set the carton down on the counter and snuffed out her cigarette in the ashtray beside her,

"For Eve's sake...I hope you're right."

Train straightened, his usual, dumb expression returning,

"Say, where is Little Princess, anyway?"

The aged barkeep grinned, folding her arms across her chest,

"She's out on a job."

"Oh, really? Who's her target?"

They both jumped at the sound of a sudden curse, and Train swivelled around, eyeing the muddy-haired boy curiously,

"You okay?"

The boy cursed again, softer this time, his teeth grinding together. He clamped a hand to his head, the other keeping tight hold on the mop handle. His entire body appeared to be shaking in pain. Annette straightened, starting around the counter,

"Kid? You alright?"

Quickly, he waved her down, sucking in air through his teeth,

"Y-Ye-Yeah! I'm fine..."

He dropped he the mop staggering toward the door as it clattered to the floor,

"I-I'm just...I'm gonna go get some air. I'll be back in a minute..."

Train blinked as the door swung shut behind the boy, raising an eyebrow,

"...Weird kid."

Annette promptly smacked him, causing him to whine,

"Ow! What was THAT for!"

~ø~

Sitting down on the porch steps, he cursed, his grip on his head tightening,

"Dammit...another one. Won't these stupid things ever stop!"

He glanced up at the sound of footsteps, raising an eyebrow as a man with a gigantic, blue mohawk sauntered past. He straightened, lowering his hands from his head,

"Nice hair."

~ø~

Train raised an eyebrow as Annette slapped the want ad down in front of him. He picked it up, looking over it carefully.

"His name's Lay Murdoch. He's an A-Class criminal wanted for just shy of $6 million."

He let out a soft whistle, glancing back up at Annette,

"What did he do to get _that_ bounty?"

~ø~

_"He raped and murdered the mayor's daughter-in-law, for one thing..."_

She tip-toed cautiously to the corner, peeking around the building. There he was, sauntering down the road as if he'd done nothing wrong. Taking a deep breath, she stepped out into the middle of the street, blocking his path,

"Lay Murdoch?"

He raised an eyebrow at the tiny girl in the black tank and miniskirt, his blue mohawk bobbing as he came to a stop,

"Eh? Who the hell are you?"

"Your time is up. As a sweeper, I'm here to take you into custody."

He grinned at that, cracking his knuckles,

"Oh, really?"

The wind began to pick up, her hair, tied low by a black ribbon, fluttering softly behind her. She narrowed her eyes, tensing as he suddenly rushed forward.

_"Not to mention he's notorious in these parts for armed burglaries and gang-related shootings. He's bad news, Train. And it's got me worried..."_

~ø~

"Worried? About Eve?"

Annette nodded, lighting up another cigarette,

"I'm just not sure she's ready for an A-class yet. I know she's been getting a lot stronger, lately, but I can't help but think she's in over her head."

Train sighed, leaning forward on the counter,

"I know what you mean. Princess has always been like that...even when Sven was here. She always bit off more than she could chew..."

~ø~

She leaped over him, Murdoch cursing loudly,

"Come back here, you little bitch!"

The tiny blonde narrowed her eyes as she landed and spun around. Biting her lip, she muttered softly,

"Transform."

Murdoch straightened, eyes widening as her hair began to glow. It morphed into long, jagged spikes, sailing toward him at high speed.

Quickly, he darted out of the way, the spikes becoming embedded into the concrete. Eve gasped, a bead of sweat trailing down her face,

"What...!"

"Looks like you underestimated me, _missy_..."

She let out a soft cry as he grabbed hold of her arm, yanking it behind her. Growling, her arm soon began to glow, Murdoch quickly pressing his pistol to the back of her head,

"Do it and you die."

She heard the pistol click, and straightened, her eyes wide. He grinned, hearing the fear in her soft gasp,

"Now...do everything I tell you...and you won't get hurt."


	3. II

**II**

He sat on the steps, silent and still, his eyes wide. His head ached fiercely. Groaning, he clamped both hands to his head, his teeth grinding,

"Stop...please stop...!"

He jerked up at the sound of a loud scream, bursting into a run down the steps,

_'That sounded like...!'_

_'"We did not need your help."'_

He sped down the street, the hood on his black shirt thumping lightly against his back. His eyes narrowed, his head still pounding in pain,

_'It sounded like it came from this way...'_

ø

Train straightened at the sound of a distant scream, Annette frowning at his sudden change of mood,

"Train? You okay?"

His eyes narrowed, and he quickly pushed away from the bar, the woman calling after him as he dashed toward the door,

"Train! What's the matter!"

ø

Eve let out another cry as he pinned her down, trying desperately to wriggle out of his grasp. Murdoch laughed at this, squeezing her breasts with a disgusting grin,

"Oh, this is gonna be sweet..."

Finally managing to wriggle her arm out from beneath his knee, she let out another scream, her hand morphing into a long blade. She quickly flailed it about in front of her, slashing him across the face. He cursed, jamming his hand down on her mouth as he pressed his pistol to her forehead,

"YOU MUST REALLY BE ITCHIN' TO DIE, GIRLY!"

"Hey!"

Murdoch growled, glancing down the darkened street to his right. The tiny blonde beneath him blinked, eyes widening as the boy from Annette's bar stepped out from the shadows. He glared at Murdoch with a deadly, grey eye, his left shadowed by a waterfall of muddy-brown bangs,

"Let her go."

The mohawked man snickered, aiming his pistol at the boy,

"Oh yeah? And what if I don't?"

"Then, I'll kick your ass."

He chuckled at that, spitting to the side,

"You? Small fry? Kick _my_ ass? Ha! I'd love to see you tr-"

He suddenly sailed backward, slamming back against the wall of a nearby bank. The muddy-haired boy straightened as Eve calmly stood up, her hair molded together in the shape of a fist. She sauntered over to the now unconscious Murdoch, pulling a pair of handcuffs from her right leg pouch and slapping them onto his wrists,

"You are hereby under arrest, Lay Murdoch. I am taking you into custody."

Straightening, she turned back to the boy, her fists clenched,

"You? Why did you help me?"

He blinked in surprise, raising his eyebrow,

"Why did I help you? Because you were in trouble, why else?"

"I wasn't in trouble. I had everything under control."

"Under control? You call almost gettin' raped _under control_?"

She jerked her gaze away from him, pouting slightly,

"I would have been fine. I'm a sweeper."

"Pah. You're not a very good one if you're trying to take on targets that are obviously out of your league."

Clenching her fists, she marched over to him, glaring him right in the eye,

"And I suppose _you_ could do better?"

He snorted again, folding his arms across his chest,

"No way in hell! But at least _I_ wouldn't be _stupid _enough to take on a bounty that I couldn't handle!"

The boy then straightened, sighing deeply as he glanced behind her,

"By the way, your target's a runner."

Eve gasped as she turned around, her eyes wide as she watched Murdoch tear down the street in the handcuffs.

The muddy-haired boy shrugged at that, trying not to laugh,

"Gee, look at that. You're even worse at this than I thought."

"I would have had him if it wasn't for you! You interrupted me!"

"Oh, so now it's all _my_ fault, Little Miss 'I can do this all by myself. I don't need any help'!"

She pouted up at him in anger, her fists shaking at her sides. Taking a deep breath, she started away from him, her blood boiling,

"You are infuriating...!"

ø

Murdoch whimpered as he jogged down the street, gasping as he spotted a man speeding right toward him. His heart stopped as he eyed the numeral tattoo on the man's chest, his eyes widening in fear,

_'Oh no...i-it's the Black Cat!'_

Quickly, he darted down a nearby alley, sweat dripping down his face,

"I gotta hide! I gotta hide!"

"Murdoch."

He straightened, glancing up to see a figure step out from the shadows before him,

"M-M-M-Mr. Warren...! I-It's nice to see you this lovely evening-"

"Where is she, Murdoch? I don't see her anywhere."

"W-Where is who?"

"Don't play dumb. You know exactly who I mean."

He raised his pistol at the cuffed man, his glasses glinting in the light of the street lamps,

"The bioweapon."

Murdoch swallowed hard, staggering back a little,

"W-Well, you see, Mr. Warren...I woulda had her, really...but...uh...these guys showed up. Y-Yeah! They was all sportin' machine guns and-!"

"Wrong answer."

_BLAM. _

Murdoch's body trembled slightly, his corpse falling backward onto the damp asphalt. The bullet hole in between his eyes oozed with blood. Warren sighed, calmly adjusting his glasses as he spotted XIII rushing past in a blur. The man was near frantic,

"Princess! Princess, answer me!"

He narrowed his eyes at this, stepping out of the alleyway after he'd gone by,

_'I shall have to come up with a way to dispose of you as well, won't I...Black Cat?'_

ø

He straightened, frowning as he raised his head toward the rooftops,

"Hey, girl! Wait a minute...!"

Eve growled softly at that, glancing back at his with narrowed eyes,

"My name is Eve...!"

"Whatever...just hold on a minute, would you?"

"Why should I?"

He silenced, his eyes widening as he spotted a man dressed in all black lurking around on one of the nearby buildings. From the looks of it, he had a sniper rifle trained on...

His head pounding, the boy quickly dashed over to her, tackling her to the ground,

"Look out!"

She gasped as they hit the concrete, her anger dissolving into concern as she witnessed the bullet collide with his arm. Grunting, he pushed himself up, pulling her up as well,

"C'mon! We have to run!"

Taking her by the wrist, the two of them darted down the street, bullets pouring down on them like rain. Eve took the initiative to transform her hair into a steel umbrella, the boy glancing up at it in surprise.

He then spotted a nearby supermarket and sped up,

"Over there! We can hide out in that grocery store!"

As they reached it, the tiny blonde transformed her hair yet again, this time into a shield. Sven had always told her it was bad luck to open an umbrella inside a building, and that was the _last_ thing they needed right now...

ø

Train huffed as he reached the end of another street, glancing about furiously,

"Princess? Princess! Where are you?"

Pulling his phone from his pocket, he cursed, flicking it open. Her GPS gave off no signal. His eyes narrowed,

_'Just like Sven's...'_

He shoved the phone back into his jacket, resuming his search,

"Princess! Princess!"

ø

Eve gasped as the muddy-haired boy fell back against the wall, tightly clutching his arm. Blood dripped down his bare fingers, soaking into the ratty, black glove on his hand. He gasped for breath, sucking in air painfully,

"Well...what do you know...? So, this is what it feels like to get shot..."

The tiny blonde quickly pulled opened her left leg pouch, and pulled out a roll of white bandages. She stepped over to him, calmly looking him in the eye,

"Remove your shirt."

He straightened, raising an eyebrow at her curiously,

"Are you serious?"

"Yes. Your wound needs treatment. Now, remove your shirt."

Sighing, the boy did as he was told, first removing the short-sleeved black shirt on top. He winced as he went to take off the long-sleeved white one underneath, Eve stepping closer,

"I'll help."

He blushed, quickly turning away in embarrassment,

"I-I...I don't need any help! I can do it on my own..."

"Fine."

He glanced back at her over his shoulder, his eyebrow twitching. She was staring. He stilled for a moment, lips pressed together in a tight line. Eve raised an eyebrow, frowning slightly,

"What's wrong?"

"...I can't move my arm."

-**2 minutes later**-

"Ow, ow, ow! Not too tight! It hurts!"

"It needs to be tight, or it will not stop the blood flow."

She sighed as she finished tying it, glancing at the tattoo spanning across his tanned back. It was of a beautiful, brown-haired angel in flowing, lavender-and-lemon gowns. Her wings were open, spread out across his shoulder blades, and there was a tiny golden harp in her delicate hands.

He noticed her gazing at it and sighed, smiling a little,

"You like it?"

She gasped, glancing up at him with large, ruby eyes. Finally, she nodded,

"Yes...it's pretty. What is it for?"

He lowered his head, pulling his white shirt down around his neck,

"My mother."

Eve straightened at that, watching quietly as he pulled his black hoodie on next. He winced, sucking in air through his teeth as he pushed the wounded arm through it's sleeve,

"Ow, ow!"

Then, with a deep breath, he adjusted his shirt, again grabbing Eve's wrist,

"C'mon, let's get out of here. I've got a bad feeling that whoever's after us will be bursting through the front door any minute."

She nodded, glancing behind her as they ran down the frozen foods aisle. Not two seconds later, a pair of men dressed in black, business suits stepped through the door. Her eyes widened as they were spotted, the boy speeding up his pace,

"There's the back, now! C'mon!"

He let her exit first, quickly running out behind her. Slamming the door shut, he leaned back against it, gasping for air. Eve frowned, stepping out into the parking lot a little,

"What now?"

Sighing, he glanced up and to her right, spotting a motorcycle parked by the lot's lone street lamp. He ran over to her, grabbing her arm, and ushering her toward it,

"We'll borrow this."

"Borrow," she began as he sat down on it,

"But we don't have permission."

The back door to the supermarket suddenly burst open, and he cursed, fiddling with the ignition wires,

"We also don't have a choice, now get on!"

Quickly, she through her leg over the seat, the boy cheering as the bike's engine roared to life,

"Yes!"

He jumped, suddenly hearing the sounds of bullets hitting something metallic. Glancing back, his eyes widened, Eve staring at him calmly as the bullets bounced off her body,

"What is it?"

Shaking his head, he turned back around, grabbing hold of the handle bars,

"You might wanna hold on!"

She wrapped her arms around his waist then, closing her eyes tightly as he sped away from their attackers. Barricades at the end of the parking lot threatened to block them in. Cursing, he reared back on the bike, bursting through them easily. After that, it was smooth sailing...

ø

Annette sighed as she stepped out onto the porch, letting out a puff of smoke,

"Looks like the little twerp decided to run without finishing his job..."

She turned, starting to head back in when she heard a shout,

"Annette!"

Glancing back, she spotted Train, straightening,

"Did you find Eve?"

He shook his head, leaning on the rail,

"No. I couldn't find her, anywhere..."

The aged barkeep sighed, her cigarette hanging loosely at her lips,

"Do you think something happened to her?"

"I-I don't know. But something about this...something about this reminds of when Sven disappeared."

ø

"Mr. Warren!"

Jonas turned, his scowl deepening when he saw that his agents were empty-handed,

"Where's the bioweapon?"

"She got away," the first one began, swallowing hard,

"Some brat hijacked a motorcycle and took her with him."

Cursing, Jonas took off his glasses and crushed them in his hand,

"Damn..."

He then eased up a little, raising an eyebrow,

"Wait...did you get a good look at him?"

"Yeah...why?"

"Then, perhaps this is a good thing..."

He turned away from them, heading back to the black Cadillac awaiting him down the street,

"Call the IBI. Give them the description of the young man who took Eve as his _hostage_. Make sure you add the part about the bike."

The second agent frowned, shaking his head,

"Uh...sir? What good will that do? They'll just take the bioweapon and return her to her guardians, won't they?"

The dark-haired man groaned, rubbing his temple irritably,

"Not if they've been properly dealt with, you imbecile... and besides. Alerting the IBI will instantly place that boy on every sweeper's most wanted list. Once he's caught, we'll simply tell those IBI dogs that we will take Eve in...as her family."

He opened the door to his car, his sapphire eyes glowing with a fierce light,

"We need her if we are to proceed with our plans..."

ø

He sighed deeply, slowing the bike to a stop as they reached the city limits. He quickly hopped off the contraption, offering the blonde a hand. She didn't take it, climbing off the bike herself. Shrugging, he winced, lightly grabbing hold of his arm as he walked over to a nearby tree,

"Well, I guess we can wait out here until morning. I doubt those guys'll have the nerve to attack you, then. When the sun comes up, I'll take you back to your mom-"

"Annette is not my mother."

The muddy-haired boy straightened, blinking as she came and sat down at the trunk. She curled her legs up under her chin, sighing deeply,

"Technically speaking...I don't have a 'mother'."

"Oh, so, you're an orphan?"

"No. I'm a clone."

He raised an eyebrow at her, then sighed, shaking his head,

"Forget I asked..."

They were silent for a time, Eve turning to him curiously,

"You, boy... what is your name?"

He leaned back against the tree, hands now behind his head,

"Huh? My name? What do you wanna know _that _for?"

"Because... I want to thank you."

He narrowed his eyes, turning his gaze to the stars,

"Merrick. Merrick Satcher."

The tiny blonde nodded, sighing softly,

"Thank you...Merrick...for helping me."

At that, he smiled,

"You're welcome, Eve..."

* * *

_**Merrick Satcher**_

**Birthday**: March 10

**Age**: 19

**Blood Type**: A

**Height**: 166cm

**Weight**: 52kg

**Hobbies**: Cooking, Playing videogames

**Likes**: Helping others, Drawing, Travelling

**Dislikes**: Rude people, Sweepers, Being alone

**Comments**: Despite the fact that he hates being alone, he prefers travelling by himself. He never stays in one spot long enough to hold a steady job. Even though becoming a sweeper would be better suited to his talents, he constantly refuses, as he does not believe in the lifestyle.


	4. III

**III**

_"Now, Merrick. No matter what a lady says to you in the future, you must always remember to be kind to her, understand?"_

_----_

_The 7-year-old pouted, folding his arms angrily,_

_"Even if she said I smelled like cat pee and I eat glue for breakfast?"_

_The elderly woman smiled, ruffling his mud-brown hair with her fingers,_

_"Yes. Even then."_

_He sniffled, tears coming to his eyes,_

_"But...but I don't smell like cat pee...and I don't eat glue for breakfast....and she really was gonna pick her nose and wipe it on the floor!"_

_She chuckled at that, pulling him up onto her lap with a sigh,_

_"Yes, well...you don't need to broadcast_ every little thing_** you**__** see**__."_

_Sucking in a wavering breath, he coughed, wrapping his arms around her neck,_

_"I don't get...why I'm the one...who gets in trouble....when she was the one...picking on me...! Why do I...have to be nice to her....? She's....she's nothing but....a spoiled....a spoiled brat!"_

_Smiling, she squeezed him tightly, giving him a soft peck on the cheek,_

_"Because that's what a gentleman does."_

_----_

Merrick sighed as he swung his leg back and forth, the leaves rustling softly around him. The breeze picked up then, and he closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. It was always so peaceful at sunrise. Opening his eyes, he smiled, the small, orange disk in the horizon filling the otherwise dreary sky with a burst of colour. Upon hearing a yawn, he glanced down from his perch. Eve was sitting up now, hair frazzled. He surpressed a laugh, grinning widely,

"Oh, hey! You're awake!"

He jumped down from the branch, his feet landing solidly on the compacted dirt below. Stiffening, he swallowed hard, his legs wobbling like jelly,

"W-W-Would you like some breakfast?"

The ruby-eyed girl blinked, straightening as he knelt down by a pile of sticks,

"Breakfast?"

He grinned again, pulling a lighter from his pocket to light the sticks,

"Yeah, I picked up some bacon while we were at the grocery store!"

"Did you pay for it?"

".......not exactly. I'd like to think of it as 'borrowing'. It's not like I won't pay it back..."

She stared at him blankly, her eyebrow twitching violently,

"Thank you."

"You're welcome! Wait....for what?"

"For making me an accomplice."

"H-Hey!"

~ø~

Train sighed deeply as he sat at the counter. The sun was coming up now, and Eve still hadn't come back. He growled, flipping open his cell phone. Annette yawned as she walked through the front door, raising an eyebrow,

"You still here, Train?"

"Yep. You locked me in, remember?"

----

_"It's time you left, Train. Now...come...on!!"_

_"No! I'm not leaving!! Not until Princess comes back!!"_

_"She won't be coming here, you idiot! She'll probably...go back to the hideout...where she's been living for the past four years!!"_

_"She's still got time!! She'll be here any minute!!! Grrrrr....let go, Annette!!"_

_The middle-aged barkeep groaned, dropping his feet suddenly. His lower half hit the floor with a loud thud and he yelped, glancing back at her angrily,_

_"What the hell!?"_

_Folding her arms, she scowled at him,_

_"Fine. You wanna stay here so bad? I'll lock you in. Goodnight, Train! And be sure to say 'hi' to Lenny for me..."_

_The chestnut-haired man frowned, raising an eyebrow as she stepped outside,_

_"Lenny? Who's that? The janitor?"_

_"Like I could afford a janitor..."_

_She chuckled, her eye gleaming as she began to close the door,_

_"Lenny's the café's resident...cockroach."_

_She then slammed the door shut and locked it; much to his immediate protest,_

_"A-Annette! Annette let me outta here! I don't wanna meet Lenny!! C'mon, Annette, where's your sense of mercy!!!?"_

_----_

She blinked, staring at him blankly,

"You didn't move from that stool all night, did you?"

"Not. An. Inch."

Shaking her head, she walked around the counter, sighing deeply,

"You're pathetic... you know that, Train?"

"I've been notified once or twice."

He scowled, putting the phone up to his ear. It rang a few times, giving him time to yawn before Eve's voice mail chimed in,

**"I'm busy. Leave a message."**

Growling softly, he drummed his fingers on the counter top, sighing at the tone,

"Hey, Princess! It's Train. Just calling to check up on you. Call me when you get this, all right? Bye."

He clapped the phone shut, stuffing it back into his jacket. Annette raised an eyebrow,

"Still no word from her?"

"What do _you_ think?"

He stood, heading toward the door,

"I'm gonna go to the hideout and see if she's there. Maybe she overslept or something. I'll be back."

Annette sighed as the door shut behind him, placing both hands on the counter,

"You're that afraid...huh? That you'll lose them both?"

~ø~

Sighing as they finished up their meal, Eve glanced up at Merrick, who was stretching,

"Now, what?"

He shrugged, cracking his knuckles,

"I dunno. I take you home, I guess."

She lowered her head, her hair falling about her face,

"Home..."

Her eyes narrowed as she gazed at the skewered strip of meat in her hand, bringing it closer to her heart,

_'A home...'_

_'"You can use the hideout as a home until I get back, okay?"'_

_--Four Years Prior--_

_She frowned, her eyes welling up with tears,_

_"Where...where are you going?"_

_Train sighed, turning to her with a solemn look on his face,_

_"I think I may head back to Cannes to gather more information. Somebody...somebody had to have seen something. There had to be a witness."_

_"What about the GPS?"_

_He glanced up at her, his heart sinking as she wiped her eyes of tears. She swallowed hard, shaking her head,_

_"Sven... he had his phone with him, didn't he? His signal...it would appear wouldn't it? Wouldn't it...?"_

_He sighed again, pulling out his phone,_

_"Don't you think I checked that, Princess?"_

_He flipped it open, handing it to the tiny blonde,_

_"But...there's nothing. The signal disappeared shortly after I went to go look for him."_

_Her eyes filled with tears as she gazed at the empty screen, and she fell to her knees, holding it close as he continued,_

_"It's almost as if he intentionally turned it off...or if maybe...maybe someone else did...so that we wouldn't find him."_

_He knelt down next to the sobbing child, wrapping his arms tightly around her,_

_"I swear, Eve...I swear to you I'll find him. I won't give up."_

_The chestnut-haired man then stood, Annette stepping up behind him,_

_"You'd better get going. The train's leaving in a half hour."_

_"Right."_

_Sighing, he started for the door, the woman kneeling down beside Eve,_

_"Annette?"_

_She glanced up at him, her cigarette hanging loosely at her lips,_

_"Yeah, Train?"_

_"Take care of her while I'm gone...okay?"_

_She nodded, silently, sighing as he closed the door behind him. Wrapping her arms around Eve, she shook her head; stroking the trembling child's hair,_

_"It's just not the same, is it? It's not a home if __**he's **__not here with you."_

_----_

Eve gasped softly, her eyes widening,

_'That's it....!'_

"No."

Merrick blinked, stopping in his tracks as he reached the motorcycle,

"No, what?"

Eve stood, dropping the piece of bacon as she started over to him. He straightened as she halted in front of him, reaching into her left arm pouch,

"Uh...what're you?"

"Here."

It was a small wad of cash. The boy raised his eyebrow at her gesture,

"What's that for?"

"You said you needed a job, right? Well, here."

She shoved it into his hands, his curiosity rising as she began to explain,

"I need to travel. There's someone out there who's waiting for me to find him...and I can't do it if I'm stuck here."

"And what does any of _that_ have to do with me?"

The tiny blonde looked him square in the eye, her aura intense,

"In order to find him, I need someone to help me search...someone who knows their way around. You are the only one who wouldn't object to it. I will pay you with money from whatever bounties I collect."

Merrick yawned, his eyes watering a little,

"So, what you're saying is...I'd be your driver?"

"....I suppose it could be put that way, yes."

He stared at her blankly. Her eyes were so earnest.

Sighing, he shrugged, sitting down on the bike,

"I don't see why not. It's a job, after all..."

He turned his head away at her joyful gasp, trying hard not to blush,

"W-Well? You comin' or what? We ain't got all day, y'know..."

Nodding shortly, Eve climbed onto the bike and wrapped her arms around his waist. As he revved up the engine, she smiled, closing her eyes as she rested her head against his back. She could see him now, standing far away from her...somewhere in that beautiful horizon,

_'Sven...I'll find you. I promise!'_

~ø~

Train sighed as he stepped through the door, frowning. Something wasn't right. He reached into his coat and grabbed for Hades, narrowing his eyes as he walked into the living room,

"Hello? Princess? You home?"

As he walked through the darkness, he became more tense. The air was too still in this place...too quiet. Suddenly, his phone rang and he jumped, his heart pounding. He answered it quickly, his voice a tad shaky,

"H-Hello? Oh, hey Annette. What's up? Is it Eve? Did she come back?"

**"Not exactly. Train, you'd better get down here. There's something you need to see."**

"Something I need to see? What is it?"

**"Are you near a TV?"**

He glanced over at the set against the wall to his left, raising an eyebrow,

"Yeah, why?"

**"Turn it on and go to the criminal updates station. They've been playing it all morning."**

His eyes scanned the surrounding area, searching for the remote. He growled, checking under the furniture, and even the cushions, grumbling to himself,

"Where's that damn...?"

Groaning, he sighed, jogging around the coffee table. It looked as though he'd have to do this manually. He knelt down, hastily flipping through the stations until he finally came upon the right one. His eyes widened at the report,

**"Witnesses say that a young man, around the age of 19 or 20, ransacked Noga's Grocers at around 9:52 last night. He took several food items, and when confronted by police, was said to have grabbed a hostage. He fled with the hostage after hijacking a motorbike from the back parking lot. He is said to be armed and dangerous. Two sketches have been made, one of the man and the other of his victim. In the event that they are sighted, we advise against direct confrontation. The bounty for this criminal has been set at $50,000."**

He promptly shut the television off then, his blood boiling.

**"Did you catch the sketches?"**

Teeth grit tightly in a smile, he forced a laugh,

"Yeah..."

His hand shook fiercely as he gripped Hades, his entire arm beginning to tremble,

"So...the little bastard thinks he can make a clean get away with the princess, does he?"

**"Train...what are you going to do?"**

His eyes narrowed and he raised Hades, firing a single shot into the wall nearby,

"Isn't it obvious, Annette? I'm gonna kill him..."

~ø~

_"If that little punk thinks he can get away with what he's done...he's sorely mistaken."_

Merrick sighed as they reached the outskirts of Elsida City, slowly bringing the bike to a halt. Eve frowned as he ushered her off of it, and pushed the bike into the bushes nearby,

"What are you doing?"

"I figure it's probably not a good idea to take this thing any further. It's bound to have been reported missing. We don't want to be arrested for stealing it, now do we?"

"So, what will we do when someone finds it?"

The muddy-haired boy smirked, wagging a finger in the air,

"Well, for one thing, we're not going to be here when they find it. And two..."

He tugged a sheet of paper from the bag slung over his shoulder, a pen as well,

"I'm going to leave a note thanking them for letting us borrow it. I'm sure that'll be good enough to keep us in the clear."

"Are you serious?"

He nodded, slipping a bill inside as he folded the letter,

"Giving them $100 for their trouble also helps..."

The blonde sighed, a beat of sweat trailing down her face,

"I hope you know someone wealthy who can bail us out when we're in jail..."

"Hey! We're not goin' to jail, all right!?"

Letting out a sigh, he stomped back over to the road, shielding his eyes from the sun as he glanced down the road towards town. Eve folded her arms as she walked up behind him, frowning,

"So what do we do, now?"

"Well, we stand out here and wait for someone to pick us up!"

"You mean...hitchhike?"

He glanced over at her with a beaming smile, nodding shortly,

"Yep."

She stared at him blankly, calmly starting down the road past him,

"If I'd known you were just going to throw the bike away, I wouldn't have hired you..."

"H-Hey! We've barely been at this for a day and you're already doubting me!? Jeez, are you a tough one to please, _princess_..."

Eve gasped and turned back to him, her eyes wide in surprise,

"What....what did you call me?"

Merrick blinked at her, scratching at his cheek,

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

Before she could reply, a truck sputtered up to them, the driver tipping his hat,

"It's quite a ways to Elsida from here. You folks need a lift?"

The muddy-haired boy grinned, nodding furiously,

"Yessir!"

He then glanced back at Eve, waving her over,

"What did I tell you? Just leave it to me, kiddo, and we'll get to where we're goin' in no time!"

The girl's eyebrow twitched at that, her fists tightening at her sides,

_'Kiddo?'_

They both climbed into the truck bed, the driver pushing open his back window as Merrick laid down across the bed,

"So, what brings you folks all the way out here? You gettin' eloped at the carnival or something?"

The muddy-haired boy shot up quickly, swivelling around to face the driver,

"Like hell--!!"

Eve narrowed her eyes at him, seething,

"And just what is that supposed to mean?"

He squeaked, coughing as he cleared his throat,

"I-I mean...no sir. It's nothing like that..."

The driver shrugged, chuckling to himself as he started on down the road again,

"Kids these days..."

Merrick laid back down after a few moments, yawning deeply,

"Man, I'm beat! How about you, Eve?"

The blonde sighed as the wind tousled her hair, her legs curled up under her chin. She remained silent. He glanced up at her from where he lay, his eyes darting back to the puffy, white clouds in the sky above them,

"You nervous?"

She sighed again, absently gazing at his chest,

"I...I don't know."

"Well, you shouldn't be. I know my way around pretty well."

"Hmm? You do?"

He nodded, closing his eyes as his bangs fluttered about his face,

"Yeah..."

They were silent again, the only sound being the whir of passing cars.

"So...who's this guy you're looking for, anyway?"

Eve straightened as she glanced down at Merrick, blinking quietly,

"What?"

"This guy you're looking for. Who is he?"

"None of your business."

The boy grit his teeth then, shooting back up into a sitting position,

"Like hell it _is_ my business! You're the one who hired me, _missy_!! You at least oughta tell me if the _bozo_ we're tracking down is a criminal or not--"

"Shut up!"

He straightened, staring at her silently. Her face...it was contorted with sadness. Her fists were clenched tightly on her lap. She glared at him angrily, her ruby eyes beginning to shimmer like glass,

"You don't even know Sven..."

She then took to staring out at the scenery to her left, her lip visibly quivering. Merrick sighed deeply, rolling over on his side away from her,

"Whatever."

Laying on his arm, his gaze lowered, and he blankly stared at his hand for a while,

_'Dammit...'_

~ø~

He sighed as he stepped out of his car, taking off his sunglasses as he headed toward the building. He carefully shoved them in his pocket as he headed up the front steps, his smirk widening as he entered the building. His trek down the long, carpeted corridor proceeded in a confident, drawn-out stride. He supposed they'd be informing the agents now...


	5. IV

**IV**

Merrick stretched as they hopped out of the truck, waving to the driver as he sputtered off down the road,

"Thanks a lot!"

He then turned, spotting Eve halfway up the sidewalk. Cursing quietly to himself, he ran to catch up with her, his bag thumping softly against his back,

"Hey! Wait a minute!"

The blonde groaned as he caught up, her fists clenched tightly. His face soured as he reached her, and he let out an exaggerated sigh,

"You're not talking to me...are you?"

She remained silent. Growling softly, he shrugged, folding his arms,

"Fine. Don't say a word. Let's just find a place to stay tonight. That way tomorrow you can get to your _sweeper_ business, and I can get paid."

She sped up her pace as they reached the cross walk, stepping out into the road before him,

"Fine by me."

His eyebrow twitched as he followed after her, adjusting the bag on his shoulder,

"This is gonna be a long trip..."

After a few minutes of walking, Eve stopped suddenly, turning to him,

"Merrick."

He jumped upon glancing up, taking a deep breath,

"Wh-What!"

The blonde pointed to a nearby building,

"Over there."

He blinked, stepping up beside her,

"You mean that apartment over there?"

She nodded as they drew closer, rounding the brick gate and stepping up to the door,

"It's our safe house."

He watched, 'ooing' and 'awing' softly as she unlocked it. They both stepped inside, Merrick unconsciously letting out a whistle,

"Not bad. You've got some nice digs here."

She sighed as he stepped in past her, lowering her head. With another gasp, the muddy-haired boy ran to the window, blinking in surprise,

"Oh wow! You can see Lunafort Tower from here! I've never been. Hey, Eve... we should go there tomorrow. What do you think-?"

"We have things to do. We can't."

Glancing back at her, he sighed, noting the look on her face. His expression softened, and he turned around, adjusting his bag,

"All right. If that's the case then why don't we get some sleep?"

The blonde nodded, heading for the stairs,

"I'll show you to your room, then..."

He followed quietly after her, frowning slightly. Those eyes. Her eyes had been filled with such sadness just then...

ø

"Jeez, another one?"

Chronos Number VII, Jenos Hazard, groaned as he and Number X, Lin Xiao Li, made their way out of the briefing room. He placed both hands behind his head, sighing as they headed on down the hall,

"You'd think with as many times as we crush these rebels, they'd have stopped rebelling by now..."

"Yes, but we must remember that humans aren't exactly the brightest creatures on this planet, VII."

He groaned, folding his arms across his chest,

"I know... but why do they have to be so stupid at the most inconvenient of times!"

Li laughed softly, Jenos pouting as he pulled his phone from his pocket,

"Looks like I'm going to have to cancel my plans with Rinslet..._once again_."

"Were you two planning to go out or something?"

"Something like that... she blackmailed me into shopping with her."

He then smiled, flipping his phone open and searching through his contact list,

"Not that I don't enjoy following her around all day, it's actually quite refreshing. She just...she always seems to get more and more clothes every time."

"And you're the one to carry all of them?"

"How'd you guess?"

He tapped enter upon reaching her name, sighing as he placed it to his ear. It softly began to ring. He stopped then, his eyes narrowed at the unfamiliar man walking into the building. Li stopped, glancing back at him in confusion,

"VII? Is something the matter?"

He continued to stare at the man, unmoving even as Rinslet's voice annoyingly chirped at him on the other end,

**"Hello? Jenos? Is that you? I swear if you're calling to cancel on me again, I'm gonna hang up! And you can just forget about dinner Sunday night..."**

They met gazes, only for a moment, sapphire to hazel. Jenos tensed as the man continued passed them, heading into the briefing room. He snapped his phone shut again, turning to Li,

"Who the hell was that?"

Li blinked innocently, glancing down the hall behind the man,

"I'm not sure. Perhaps they've finally found XIII's replacement?"

"I highly doubt it."

He sighed, shoving his phone back in his pocket as he started onward down the hall,

"C'mon...we should get going. The car's waiti-"

He stopped again, Li nearly running into him,

"What is it now!"

The man began trembling, his eyes wide as he swivelled his head around to face the younger,

"I..."

Li blinked blankly.

"I..."

He clasped both hands to his head, his entire body shaking,

"I HUNG UP ON RINS! Shit! What am I gonna do now! She's gonna kill me!"

The black-haired man straightened, waving the man's frantics down,

"Um...Perhaps you should just call her right back? I'm sure Mrs. Walker is an understanding woman..."

ø

Rinslet's eyebrow twitched as she gazed at the phone in her hand, her anger bubbling past her shock and to the surface. Slamming her phone shut, she let out a shrill scream, chucking it against the wall,

"I HATE MEN!"

She grabbed clumps of her hair in each fist, tugging at them in aggravation,

"AND JENOS IS THE WORST ONE OF THEM ALL!"

ø

Li laughed a little as they reached the car, patting Jenos on the back,

"You could always call her back and tell her the call was dropped? Perhaps that would be the best course of action?"

"Actually the best course of action would be to put my head between my- Hey...Hey maybe you have a point, Li!"

He whipped out his phone again, filing through the list to Rinslet's name,

"She won't kill me if I say it wasn't my fault. You know, Number X, sometimes you amaze me."

The raven-haired man laughed as the car began to move, scratching his head sheepishly,

"What can I say? I'm an expert when it comes to lying to a female...?"

He promptly pressed 'send call'...

ø

The phone rang again, and Rinslet narrowed her eyes, growling as she scooped the phone up off of the floor. Flipping it open angrily, she barked into it with all her might,

"JENOS, YOU'D BETTER HAVE A GOOD EXPLANATION-oh...Train. What is it? Is there any word on Sven?"

ø

Train gulped as he stared at the phone, his eyes wide in terror. He jumped again as her ear-splitting shrieking tore through the phone lines,

"LISTEN, I'M NOT IN THE MOOD FOR THIS, TODAY! EITHER SAY SOMETHING OR I'M HANGING UP!"

Quickly he put the phone back to his ear, yelping,

"Uh, yeah! Hey Rins, how are you...?"

ø

"Don't mess with me, right now, Train," she seethed,

"I'm hormonal and in need of chocolate."

**"Oh...wow, that's too much information."**

"JUST GET TO THE POINT!"

**"All right! Jeez...don't have a cow. I was just calling to see if you'd heard anything from the princess."**

She straightened, crossing her legs as she sat down on her hotel sofa,

"Eve? No, I haven't heard anything from her in a while. Did something happen?"

**"Yeah...she was kidnapped."**

ø

Train scowled, the wind tousling his hair as he leaned back against the bench he sat upon. It would be another few hours before his bus to Elsida would arrive. He could hear the woman's gasp on the other end,

**"Kidnapped? By who? Do you know who it was?"**

"Yeah, kinda...he was mopping up Annette's bar when I last saw him. He went outside to get some air, and then he was gone. Next I heard, he'd ransacked a store and taken Eve as a hostage."

**"That's terrible...! Is there something you want me to do? Maybe I can help..."**

"Actually, yeah, I was hoping you could. I downloaded a picture of this guy from the IBI's Bounty Database. It's just a sketch, but I was wondering if you might be able to get some info on him for me. Maybe I can predict his next movements or something."

**"Sure. Go ahead and send it and I'll see what I can do."**

"Thanks, Rins... I really owe you for this."

He pressed send, waiting for the file to transfer before clapping his phone shut. Sighing deeply, he pressed it lightly to his lips, closing his eyes,

_'Princess...'_

ø

_'Where the hell are you?'_

"Dylan Marshall!"

A scrawny man with choppy, brown hair turned around slowly, his green, windbreaker jacket swishing in the breeze. He gasped suddenly, his feet and hands now bound by long, blonde strands. She stepped closer, another section of her hair transforming into a fist,

"You are coming with me. As a sweeper, I'm placing you under arrest."

ø

He yawned as he waited by the station for her to come out, turning his gaze to the sky,

"It sure is bright out..."

He watched the clouds move slowly across the blanket of blue above him, a tiny, yellow butterfly fluttering by. Unconsciously, he smiled.

"Merrick."

Lazily, he rolled his head to the side, spotting Eve as she came out of the building. Shoving his hands in his pocket, he nodded,

"So, who'd you catch?"

"Dylan Marshall. A notorious thief. He's robbed more than a few banks in the area."

"You mean he did. Until you caught him..."

She remained silent. He sighed, scratching his neck,

"How much was he worth?"

The girl shoved the envelope at him, walking on by,

"Look for yourself."

He straightened, raising an eyebrow as she stormed away. Peeking inside the envelope, he pulled out the check, straightening,

"$1,000, huh?"

He then slipped it back into the envelope and chased after her, shoving it into his pocket,

"Wait up!"

ø

"So, what do we do now?"

Eve and Merrick now strolled through town square, Eve sighing deeply,

"We get to work."

"Get to work? Doing what?"

"Searching."

He straightened, raising an eyebrow at her,

"Searching...? Oh, for that guy, you mean?"

She silenced, her head bowed. He appeared in her mind, standing out on a sandy beach. Night had fallen, and she could hear the booming of fireworks. Brilliant erruptions of pink and yellow cast their warm glow on him. His lime hair battered softly beneath his cream-coloured hat, and he turned to face her, a smile crossing his lips. The image disappeared as she was jolted suddenly, and she spun around, her fists clenched tightly,

"What!"

Merrick jumped back, quickly taking his hands off her shoulders,

"You were about to walk out in traffic."

She glanced back at the road in front of her, the wind created by speedy cars catching her hair. Straightening, she waited for the 'Walk' light, and continued on,

"Let's go."

He followed after her, sighing deeply,

"Oi..."

ø

Li straightened as Jenos clapped his phone shut, raising a curious brow,

"What is it?"

"Her phone was busy."

"I see."

The mahogany-haired man groaned, folding his arms as he leaned back against the seat,

"Hey, Li? Can I ask you something?"

The bright-eyed Number sat back in his seat, turning his gaze to the scenery outside,

"Go ahead."

"Didn't you find it strange...that an Eraser was going to see the Elders?"

Li was silent for a moment.

"Well, I suppose it was a little odd, considering that we Numbers are usually left to brief the Erasers. Perhaps they _are_ considering him for Heartnet's old position?"

Jenos sighed deeply, glancing out the window on his side,

"I guess so...but there's just something about it. I can't help but feel like something else is going on."

"Something else? Like what?"

His brown eyes narrowed,

"I don't know...but it can't be good."

ø

"All of the preparations are set, then?"

"Yes. Everything is going according to plan. I have sent the Numbers out on missions across the globe. They are completely oblivious to our movements."

"Perfect. See to it that it stays that way."

"Yes, sire."

"And, Jonas...what of XIII?"

The raven-haired man grinned, his sapphire eyes gleaming in the brilliant spotlight shining on him,

"He will be dealt with shortly, I assure you... I will not let Train Heartnet interfere with our plans."

ø

Number II, Belze Rochefort stood outside of the briefing room, listening intently to their conversation. Narrowing his eyes, he cursed,

"I knew something was going on around here... I must warn Sephiria."

As he started down the hall, he heard a strange noise coming from one of the other corridors. He turned in it's direction, following the muffled grumbling to the door at the end of the hall. Frowning, he carefully opened it, raising an eyebrow,

"What on earth...?"

* * *

**A/N: Kind of a short chapter. lol I've been having a hard time coping with Bleach chapter 293. Ishida... TT-TT**


	6. V

**V**

Jenos jumped as his phone began to ring, and he hurriedly pulled it out of his pocket,

"Rinslet? Listen, I'm really sorry about--"

He straightened then, a serious tone entering his voice,

"Oh...Belze. What is it? Is something wrong?"

**"You could say that."**

"What happened?"

He glanced over at Li in the seat across the aisle from him. The younger man was curled up in the chair, sleeping soundly. He lowered his voice as not to wake him,

"Did you find anything out about that Eraser?"

**"Not really. But you're suspicions were correct. He and the Elders are planning something."**

"I knew it. Erasers don't just leisurely walk into Headquarters and act as though they own the place."

**"That isn't what I called about, Number VII."**

He frowned, raising an eyebrow,

"Then, what is it?"

**"I've found something."**

ø

**"Found?"**

He nodded, cautiously heading down the spiralling steps,

"A stairwell of some kind...I'm not sure where it leads to. I've never seen it before."

**"A stairwell? What's so curious about a stairwell?"**

"What lead me to it."

**"And that was?"**

ø

**"The sound of agony."**

Jenos tensed as Belze continued, swallowing hard,

**"It sounded as though someone were being tortured... whoever it was, they were in a great deal of pain."**

ø

**"Are you following it?"**

The man grunted, reaching the end of the steps,

"I followed it to the stairwell, but it stopped shortly thereafter. I've decided to head down here and check it out anyhow."

**"You think it may have something to do with that Eraser?"**

"I'm not sure... what?"

His eyes widened as he stepped into a large room, his shoes tapping softly on the shining, tile floor,

"What in God's name...?"

**"Belze, what is it? What did you find?"**

ø

Jenos leaned forward in his seat, his eyebrows furrowing together.

**"It...it's a laboratory."**

He straightened, raising an eyebrow,

"A laboratory?"

**"Yes. Someone's created an underground laboratory..."**

ø

**"So, somebody's playing mad scientist, huh?"**

Belze glanced around the lab a bit, his voice dark and serious as he noted the tubes and wires strewn neatly about the area,

"I think this a little more than just play..."

He stopped then, his eyes widening as he spotted a familiar figure strapped to an upright table nearby,

"No...it can't be...!"

**"Belze? Belze, what is it? What's going on?"**

"What the hell...?"

"Oh my! How _nosy_ we are..."

Belze gasped as his phone suddenly shattered, Jenos's panicked voice crackling and shorting out,

**"Be--ze! Belz--"**

He tensed, his fists clenching at his sides,

"You. You're that Eraser...Jonas Warren?"

Jonas grinned, his sapphire eyes gleaming,

"So, you know my name... how long have you been keeping tabs on me?"

"Long enough. Just what is it that you and the Elders planning? And how does _he_ play into it...?"

He motioned behind him, to the motionless man upon the slab. The dark-haired one simply smiled, sighing deeply,

"I am sorry, Number II...but only the Elders and myself are privy to such information."

"Is that so?"

He turned away from Jonas and toward the slab, starting over to it,

"Then I suppose I shall just have to ask _him_, then..."

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that..."

Belze leapt away suddenly, eyes widening as a jagged spike entered the ground he'd just been standing on. Suddenly, Jonas was in his line of vision, eyes glowing a brilliant red. He cursed.

ø

"Belze!! Belze, answer me!! Belze!!"

Li stirred from his sleep, glancing over at Jenos with dreary eyes. The man was sweating, tense, and nervous about something. Jenos cursed then, slamming his phone shut,

"Dammit...!"

"What's wrong?"

His grip on his phone tightened, but he let out a sigh, leaning back,

"Nothing...I'm sure it's nothing."

Li silently stared at the man, his face darkening...

ø

Merrick coughed suddenly as they reached the corner, placing a hand to his head. Eve straightened, turning back to him with concerned eyes,

"Are you all right?"

He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut as he hissed through his teeth,

"Y-Yeah...I'm just fine..."

"Are you sure?"

After a moment or two, he straightened, his body shaking a little as he smiled up at her,

"It's just a little migraine. I get them sometimes...when I haven't eaten."

The girl straightened, nodding thoughtfully,

"Then you should probably eat something."

He laughed a little as they continued down the road,

"Yeah, I guess I should..."

He pulled what appeared to be a granola bar out of his knapsack, Eve raising an eyebrow,

"Merrick?"

"Hmm?"

"Where did you get that?"

"..."

She narrowed her eyes at him,

"You stole it from that grocery store, didn't you?"

"IT'S NOT STEALING IF I INTEND TO PAY IT BACK!!"

She let out a deep sigh, shaking her head,

"I wonder how high the bounty on a thief is? Maybe I could turn you in for dinner money--"

"Hey, cut that out!! And besides, I've got plenty of food in my bag so we don't have to worry about--"

The boy stopped short, swallowing hard as she glared him down.

"Exactly how much did you take?"

He let out a nervously laugh, scratching the side of his cheek as he turned his gaze toward the pink-and-purple skies,

"I-I dunno...! Everything happened so fast. It's all really a blur to me, now...hmm?"

He stopped then, his face darkening. There was someone watching them again. He slowly turned around, calmly putting an arm around Eve's shoulder as he guided her down the street,

"Let's keep going."

She straightened, giving a discreet glance to the roof tops. The silhouette quickly darted behind a chimney. Turning back around, she took in a deep breath, her voice a low whisper,

"The men from before?"

"Probably."

"What do they want?"

Merrick scowled, the two of them rounding the corner toward the safe house,

"I don't know. But let's hurry back to your place. Maybe we can lose them--"

He stopped suddenly, clamping a hand to his head. The blonde straightened as he slumped against the wall, eyes wide,

"Merrick...?"

He shook violently for a moment or two, his teeth grit tightly together. Squeezing his eye shut, he groaned, Eve swallowing hard as she gently touched his shoulder,

"Are you okay? Merrick--?"

Grabbing her by the wrist, he quickly dragged her down the road in the opposite direction, the girl thoroughly confused,

"What's going on? What's wrong? I thought you said--"

"Scratch that! It was a bad idea!!"

"What? What do you mean? How do you--"

"Trust me," he began, glancing around as they ran down the street. The shadows were very lively today,

"I've just got a bad feeling about it."

ø

Train yawned as he hopped off of the bus, stretching loudly,

"Maaaaan!! I hate cramped buses..."

He rounded the corner from the stop, his face brightening a little as he spotted the safe house,

"Well, looks to me like it's still in one--"

His eyes widened then, the ground beneath him rumbling as the house exploded in an enormous fireball.

The locals around him began screaming and running with terror. Through the chaos, he spotted two figures. One wore a black, knit cap and had muddy-brown hair, while the other...

"Princess!"

He darted after them, the sirens growing loud behind him.

ø

Merrick glanced back mid-run, his eyes widening as he spotted a chestnut-haired man drawing close,

_'Dammit! That must be the guy who was watching us. He's probably the one who destroyed the...'_

"We have to run faster!"

Eve's eyes widened, her heart racing,

"Why?!"

"Someone's onto us!"

She glanced back, her eyes widening as well,

_'Train!?'_

The man seemed serious. Gritting her teeth, she turned back to the front, their pace continuing,

_'I can't let him catch us! If that happens, I won't be able to continue looking for Sven...'_

"Merrick, can you trust me?"

He glanced back at her over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow,

"What?"

She pulled her hand away from his, and slowed her pace a little, going behind him. This made the boy a bit frantic,

"Eve, what are you doing?! If you stop, he'll catch you!"

"No, he won't. Just keep running!"

Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, throwing her arms out to the sides,

_'Transform...Wings!'_

At that, two pure, white wings sprouted from the girl's back. They flapped slowly, lifting her a short ways off the ground. Floating up behind Merrick, she grabbed him under the arms, lifting him off his feet. His eyes widened at this, and he glanced back at her, dumb-founded,

"What the...?"

He cursed then, his sack sliding off of his arm. He reached for it as it fell, grinning a little as it plopped itself down on their pursuer's head. The man let out a yelp, falling flat on his face. The boy cringed, glancing up fearfully as he spotted a billboard coming straight at them,

"Uh...Eve!?"

With a soft grunt, she pulled him up as high as she could, the weight of carrying him making her arms burn. She hadn't gone high enough, however, and he pulled his legs up to his stomach, the bottoms of his boots grazing the top of the sign. As they flew past it, he glanced back with a sigh,

"That was close..."

ø

Train groaned as he pushed himself up off of the ground, the bump on his head swelling slightly. He could see them in the distance, Eve's brilliantly white wings an eyesore in the darkening sky. He stood, his eyes narrowing as he bit his lip,

"Princess..."

He then glanced down at the black bag by his feet, his eyebrow raising curiously,

"Well, what do we have here?"

ø

He'd never been in the sky before. That was the only thing that crossed his mind as they flew high above the roof tops of Elsida. It was like all those dreams he'd had as a child... the ones where he could fly high into the clouds, away from everything, and just forget about everything bad that was going on around him. But this was no dream. This was real. This was amazingly real. Merrick glanced to his left, his eyes widening,

"Lunafort Tower."

The tower looked so beautiful, even with all the smoke in the air. It sparkled, seeming to stand triumphant in the midst of the firey clouds. He couldn't help but smile. Upon hearing a soft groan, he glanced up, frowning slightly,

"Eve? You okay?"

She bit her lips, taking in a deep breath as she tried to keep them aloft,

"You..."

"Hmm?"

"You're heavy."

ø

He gazed down at the body before him, licking the blood from his hand with a smirk,

"You put up a valiant fight Rochefort...but I'm afraid you were just no match for _our_ eye."

Jonas then turned away from the mess, taking out his phone as it rang,

"How troublesome."

He flicked it open, scowling,

"What is it?"

**"Sir, we've destroyed the Elsida hideout as instructed."**

He sighed, heading back up the stairs and out of the laboratory,

"Was the bioweapon inside?"

**"No. We made sure she was away from the premises."**

"And the boy with her?"

**"He...wasn't there either, sir."**

Jonas growled at that, slamming the door shut behind him,

"Dammit. I was hoping that you would've been able to kill him in the blast."

**"Sir, what are your orders?"**

Sighing, he rubbed his temple in aggravation, shaking his head,

"Track down the bioweapon. Make sure you get rid of her friend. It's obvious the sweepers are slacking in that department..."

**"And what of XIII?"**

"XIII? You mean Heartnet is _there _in Elsida!?"

**"Y-Yes, sir. I'm afraid so."**

Jonas groaned, shaking his greying head,

"Whatever you do, do NOT approach him. None of you are strong enough to take him on."

**"So, then what--"**

"Just make sure he doesn't get to Eve. If he finds her, he'll never let her out of his sight."

Slamming the phone shut, he headed back into the briefing office, turning to the large monitors above him,

"Elders."

The three old men appeared, each belonging to a monitor,

"Yes, Warren?"

Sighing deeply, the man cracked his neck, turning away from them,

"Inform the remaining Numbers that Number II, Belze Rochefort...was killed in action on the Sapidoa coast. And make sure there are no further interruptions to our plans."

Willzark nodded solemnly,

"Consider it done...sire."

Jonas grinned.

ø

The man on the slab groaned weakly, his lime hair shadowing his eyes. His face was slightly sunken, his body drained of all it's energy. Cold sweat accumulated on his paled skin, and he coughed, his lips dry and cracked. Groaning again, he lifted his head a little, his eyes foggy and faded,

"Eve..."

* * *

**A/N: Hooray for a new chapter (And in Bleach news, ISHIDA LIVED!!! My depression is over!! lawlz):D **


	7. VI

**VI**

Merrick gazed down at the lit-up town, his bangs fluttering softly in the breeze. Eve grunted then, let out a yelp,

"I can't...!"

His eyes widened as they both began to plummet downward, the girl falling away from him as they spiralled toward the earth. Cursing, he grabbed onto her, pulling her to him,

"Eve!"

He cursed. She was unconscious. Gritting his teeth, he glanced behind him at the ever-nearing trees. Taking a deep breath, he cradled her closely, clamping his eyes shut. This was definitely going to hurt.

~ø~

Train sighed as he tore down the street, the boy's bag in hand. There was a good chance that Eve was still nearby,

_'Her power may've grown over the years...but she's still limited.'_

He looked toward the sky, hoping to catch a glimpse of her,

_'Her transformations are only effective....for thirty minutes at the most.'_

As he ran on down the street, a figure stepped out from the alleyway, cell phone to his ear,

**"Did you find him?"**

"Yes. Black Cat has just crossed my path."

**"Strict orders from Warren. Pursue but do not confront. Do you under--"**

Clapping his phone shut, the raven-haired man grinned, his dark sun glasses glinting in the dimming sulight.

~ø~

They laid at the foot of a large oak tree, neither moving. Eve mumbled, her eyes twitching beneath their lids.

_'"Eve, you've got a phone call. It's Train..."'_

----

_The tiny blonde quickly ran to the phone, snatching it from Annette,_

_"Train!? Is it Sven!? Did you find him!?"_

_**"Not yet, little princess... but don't worry. I'm still looking."**_

_She lowered her head sadly, eyes downcast,_

_"Oh..."_

_**"Hey, don't sound like that! He'll turn up! It's only been a few days! I'm sure he's around here somewhere."**_

_She remained silent. He sighed,_

_**"Don't lose hope, okay? I promised you I'd find him and I will. And once I do, I'll give him a good punch in the face for making you **_

_**worry**_**--.**_**"**_

_CLICK._

_Annette straightened as the 13-year-old suddenly slammed the phone down, raising an eyebrow as she ran away to her room,_

_"Eve?"_

_Slamming her door behind her, she leaned back against the door for a moment, wiping the tears from her eyes. She then ran over to her bed, pulling his hat out from under her pillow. Curling up on the mattress, she held it tightly, sobbing._

_**Sven...**_

----

Groaning softly, she opened her eyes, confused as to how they were suddenly back on the ground,

"Huh?"

Pushing herself up, she glanced around. From the looks of it, they had landed in the middle of a forest...maybe a camp ground of some kind. She straightened upon feeling something strange and warm beneath her hand, and she gasped, looking down at Merrick. He wasn't moving.

"Merrick!"

She shook him, gently at first, then a bit more fiercely,

"Merrick! Wake up!"

At first he was unresponsive, but then....

"Aw, but Maggie, _I_ wanted the last bagel."

WHACK.

He sat up fairly quickly, a bright hand mark appearing on his cheek,

"It's not like that, I swear--!!"

Blinking, he stopped, glancing over at the blonde beside him. Noting the large, hair-composed hand that loomed behind her back, he growled, narrowing his eyes,

"You smacked me just now...didn't you?"

Her hair quickly returned to normal,

"No."

Eyebrow twitching, he silently watched her stand, shooting daggers into the back of her head,

"We should get going," she said calmly,

"It's a long way to the next town."

He glared at her a moment more before standing himself, brushing off his pant legs,

"Yeah, whatever--"

Suddenly, he grunted, grabbing his hold of his arm. Eve straightened, hurrying over to him,

"What's wrong? Is it your arm?"

"No, it's my _ass_. Of course it's my arm! What does it look like!?"

He whimpered, pulling his black sleeve up a bit. There was a growing red spot leaking through the white of his undershirt. He winced, clamping a hand down on it again,

"It must've reopened when we fell..."

Sighing, Eve pulled the roll of bandages from her leg pouch, and began tugging his shirt off of him. He blushed madly, pushing it back down,

"Wha-What the hell are you doing!?"

"Are you always going to be this noisy when I go to dress your wounds?"

"Um. I don't know. How about you try asking _first _next time!?"

"You are such a child..."

~ø~

"Ow! It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!!!"

"Stop being a baby and let me tie it!"

Merrick pouted as she wrapped the gauze around his arm,

"Didn't I tell you I have a low threshold for pain?"

"No, but your obnoxious shrieking really clued me in."

His head dropped as she finished tying up the wound, the girl placing the roll back in her pouch,

"There."

Sighing, he tugged his shirt back over his head,

"Thanks."

She remained silent. He paused before putting the black one on, turning his gaze away from her,

"Hey, Eve? What I said earlier...about that guy you're looking for? I'm sorry."

She straightened, glancing up at him in surprise. He pulled the black shirt on, adjusting it as he continued in softly,

"I could tell by the look in your eyes that he meant a lot to you. I...I know what it's like to lose someone like that. I'm sorry."

Eve smiled, bowing her head thoughtfully,

"Thank you."

He yawned, shrugging slightly as he rose to his feet,

"Yeah, yeah...whatever. You said it was a long way to the next town, right? We should get going before it gets too dark."

Nodding, she stood, hurrying after him as he headed deeper into the woods.

~ø~

"Princess!"

The chestnut-haired man called, glancing around the deserted park. He gained no response. Clenching his fists tightly, he called out again,

"Princess--!!"

"She's not here...Black Cat."

Train straightened, slowly turning to face the silhouette lurking behind him. He raised an eyebrow, his body tensing. As they stepped out from the shadows, his eyes widened, a bead of sweat trailing down his face,

"It's you...."

They grinned.

"Lugart Won!"

~ø~

"I see. I understand. Thank you for informing me."

The phone fell from her hand as she hung up, the woman falling to her knees. From her eyes poured painful tears, and she gripped her shirt tightly,

"Belze......"

"Yo, Sephiria! You okay in there?"

A knock at her hotel room door and Sephiria stood, wiping her eyes as she quickly regained her composure. She went to the door, startling the querer as she suddenly opened it. She was puzzled,

"VII? X? What are you both doing here?"

Li offered her a smile,

"We were sent out here on orders from the Elders to assist you in maintaining order in this area."

Jenos straightened, noting the look on her face, as well as the tears stains on her cheeks,

"Sephiria, did something happen?"

She was silent for a moment, her mouth hanging open slightly. Then, with a solemn tone in her voice, she looked up at him, sternly meeting his concerned gaze,

"One of our number has fallen in battle."

X straightened, his sapphire eyes widening in shock,

"What?"

The mahogany haired man beside him swallowed hard, his whole body tensing.

_'__**"What in God's name...?"**__'_

_'"Belze! Belze answer me! Belze!!"'_

His eyes narrowed,

"Who was it, Sephiria?"

She sighed deeply, bowing her head,

"Belze Rochefort. He was found dead at 11AM this morning."

Both men straightened. Li shook his head,

"I don't understand...how is that possible!?"

Jenos gritted his teeth, his fists clenched at his sides,

"Do they know who did it?"

The woman nodded shortly,

"A group of insurgents on the Sapidoa coast. He died valiantly in battle, fighting to the very end."

She silenced then. Li sighed, his head bowed as he placed a hand to his heart,

"Well, at least he died nobly. May God rest his soul..."

Jenos remained silent, his expression grim...

~ø~

"It's you...Lugart Won!"

The raven-haired man grinned, disappearing right before Train's eyes. He quickly pulled out his gun, using it as a shield as Won suddenly reappeared before him. His fist slammed hard against the cold steel of Hades. Won smiled, a single, black curl falling in front of his eyes,

"My skills have improved since last we met..."

Train gritted his teeth, trying hard to hold back Lugart's fist,

"I can see that."

The pistol clattered in his hand. The raven-haired man grinned at this, his dark eyes gleaming,

"What's wrong, Black Cat? Gotten rusty?"

Snorting, Train shoved him away, grinning,

"Sorry, but I don't have time for this right now!"

From his coat, he pulled a tiny black bomb, a bomb with a grinning cat's face drawn on it. He hurled it at Won, and it landed at the man's feet, setting off a thick cloud of smoke.

Train turned away then, eyes wide as a fist collided with his nose. He was sent flying through the smoke, landing flat on his back as he came out on the other side. Cursing, he wiped his nose, rising to his feet. He could see Won's silhouette in the smoke. The man was laughing,

"Did you think it would be that easy?"

Snarling, the chestnut-haired man popped his nose back into it's proper place, wincing. He then aimed Hades at the raven-haired assassin, a deep scowl on his face,

"I don't want to have to kill you, Won. Now get out of my way."

"So, those naïve thoughts are still clouding your judgement?"

He grinned at that,

"Of course they are. I told you before, 'If I can spare the life of my enemy, I'll do that'. So, if you could just kindly move I'll be on my way--"

"Where is that partner of yours...Black Cat?"

Train halted then, his blood running cold. Won simply grinned, his eyes gleaming in the diluted sunlight,

"I don't see him anywhere. What was his name again? Sven Vollfied?"

He laughed, the chestnut-haired man gripping Hades tightly as he continued in a mocking tone,

"Perhaps your naïve thinking didn't get the better of you....but of him, instead? Or perhaps he just got ahead of himself? Either way, it seems to me that your partner....is no longer among the living--"

Before he knew it, the golden-eyed man was behind him, Hades' cord tightening around his throat. Won gagged, his eyes wide as he struggled to free himself from Train's grasp. The cord only grew tighter, and he hacked, a glob of saliva flying from his mouth as he was lifted off the ground. Train continued to tighten his grip on Won, his eyes glowing with anger,

"Say what you will about me, _Won_," he hissed, the man yelping as the cord cut into his neck,

"But Sven isn't dead. And if you dare to say otherwise in front of me again, believe me... I _won't_ hesitate to kill you."

He then released him, Lugart collapsing to the floor as he choked on a mixture of blood and saliva. Placing Hades back in his jacket, Train turned away from him, starting on down the road. Staggering to his feet, Lugart coughed, placing a hand on his bleeding throat,

"Where are you going, Black Cat!? We aren't finished here!!"

"I told you before. I don't have time to deal with you, right now--"

An agonised cry from behind him and Train spun around, his eyes widening. Lugart was gagging again, but this time from the single, silver arrow that pierced his chest. He gaped down at it for a moment or two, the arrow dripping with his blood. His eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped forward, falling to the asphalt with a sickening crack. The chestnut-haired man glanced up to see a figure in the shadows. With a push of their glasses, they turned away from him, heading on down the road. Train cursed, his fists clenched tightly at his sides,

"Hey! Hey!! Just who the hell are you!?"

They stopped, glancing back at him with a smirk,

"It would be wise for you to just keep moving, Black Cat. You don't want to end up the same as him...do you?"

And with that, he disappeared. Train gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing dangerously,

_"Dammit."_

_

* * *

_**A/N: Fixed an error**_...but I can't remember what it was._ -.-;_  
_


	8. VII

**VII**

_**---**_**A Few Weeks Later in Vista City**_**---**_

"Say, you wouldn't happen to have a safe house _here_, would you?"

"No. Sold it a long time ago."

"I see. That would've been too easy..."

Merrick slumped as he walked, a deep pout on his face. His stomach rumbled then, and he clenched his fists,

"Dammit, I'm hungry!!"

The petite blonde glanced back at him, raising an eyebrow,

"Don't you still have food in your--"

She then noticed that the sack he'd been carrying was missing, and remembered that it had fallen from his arm as they were making their escape from Elsida,

"Oh."

It grumbled again, and he whimpered, a bead of sweat trailing down the girl's face. She sighed, mildly aggravated,

"Let's go get something to eat, then."

~ø~

Eve propped her chin on her palm, making sure to avoid looking at Merrick as he wolfed down his food. The other customers in the restaurant stared at them. This was so embarassing. The boy let out an attenuated sigh of ecstasy as he polished of his 30th bowl of noodles and leaned back in the booth,

"Maaaan! It's been a while since I ate like that!"

He noted the annoyed look on the girl's face and raised an eyebrow at her, blinking innocently,

"Something wrong, Eve?"

She growled, glancing back at him,

"No, nothing. You're done?"

"Eh, pretty much. You want any desert?"

"No. You're done. Now, pay for the meal and let's go."

She sprung up from her seat and marched out of the restaurant, the muddy-haired boy finally noticing the stares,

"Oh. E-heh-heh...."

~ø~

The girl sat outside waiting for him, her chin again propped up on her palm. Finally, after about 10 minutes, he came out, plopping down on the curb beside her. She glanced over at him from the corner of her eye,

"If you were planning to dine and dash, then you're a complete failure at it. I would've started running by now if I were you."

"Ha ha. Very funny."

They then stood, crossing the street quickly while the cars were stopped. As they reached the other side, Merrick shoved his hands in his pockets,

"So, where do we start looking? For this guy of yours, that is..."

She blushed slightly; clearing her throat,

"For one thing, he isn't _my guy_. His name is Sven and he's my guardian."

The boy stopped, his eyes widening,

"Your...your guardian?"

She turned to him, raising an eyebrow at him curiously,

"Yes. Why? Is there something wrong with that?"

Quickly, he shook his head, placing a hand behind his head as he laughed,

"No, not really! Just the way you made it sound, I thought he was your _boyfriend_ or somethin'!"

Her blush grew darker and she turned away from him; starting back on down the road. He lowered his head; shoving his hands into his pockets,

_'Her guardian...'_

~ø~

The birds chirped merrily overhead, a deep contrast to his mood as he stood alone in the field. He sighed deeply, gazing down at the stone before him. His fists clenched tightly at his sides. The funeral had been five days ago. Their mission had just ended yesterday. He'd heard from Nizer that it had been a nice ceremony. That didn't make up for the fact that he hadn't been there. It had been his fault after all...

"Number VII?"

Jenos glanced to his right to see Xiao Li standing there. He blinked,

"Li? What are you doing here?"

The raven-haired man smiled then, stepping up beside him. There was a bouquet of flowers in his grasp,

"I came to pay my respects. Same as you."

He set the flowers at the foot of the stone, and clasped his hands together silently. After a moment, he stood, sighing deeply,

"He was a good man...Belze Rochefort."

"Yeah, he was."

They silenced, the only sound in the air being the rustling of trees around them.

"Li, can I ask you something?"

He glanced over at Jenos, quietly noting how his mahogany hair seemed to shine green in the light,

"Hmm?"

"Jonas Warren. Ever heard of him?"

The younger shook his head, his lengthy ponytail battering in the breeze,

"No. Why do you ask?"

"Before Belze died...he'd been helping me investigate something."

"Investigate?"

"Yeah," the mahogany-haired man continued,

"A man named Jonas Warren."

Li straightened. Jenos narrowed his eyes, sighing deeply,

"He's an Eraser. In fact, he's the same Eraser that we saw the other day when we were heading out to help Sephiria in Solennica."

"The one who went to see the Elders?"

"Yeah."

A bird flew over head, singing sweetly as it landed in a nearby tree.

Sighing, Li lowered his head,

"Did you find anything suspicious?"

".........."

He glanced over at Jenos, raising a concerned eyebrow at the man's dark expression,

"VII?"

Jenos turned away from him then, hands in his pockets as he started away,

"Forget I ever said anything Li. If there's any connection between Warren and Belze's death, I'll find it on my own. The last thing I'd want is to have your blood on my hands..."

Lin straightened, calling after him,

"Jenos!"

The man ignored his call and continued on his path. Lowering his head, he tightly clenched his fists, cursing softly to himself...

~ø~

"Hey! Hey buddy!"

A man with a grey, wool cap and maroon hair turned around, raising an eyebrow at the young boy standing there,

"Yeah?"

"Just wondering, have you seen a guy with uh...with uh..."

Merrick bit his lip; calling to the blonde across the marketplace,

"HEY EVE! WHAT DOES SVEN LOOK LIKE??"

He gained stares from everyone around them and he smiled sheepishly; placing a hand behind his head with a nervous laugh. Eve quickly stormed over to him and grabbing him by the hood of his shirt; dragged him away. He yelped as he stumbled behind her; raising an eyebrow as they stopped at the playground nearby,

"Hey, hey! What's your problem? I thought you wanted me to help you look--"

She glared down at him, her arms folded,

"I told you before that I don't need your help."

"Well, then why the hell did you hire me!?"

"Because I _thought _you'd be driving!"

She growled, marching away from him. He scowled, calling after her,

"Well, now I'm not! So, what do you want me to do!?"

"Nothing! Just go back to the room. I'll handle this on my own..."

The girl disappeared around the corner, and, letting out a growl, Merrick grabbed hold of his hat and threw it to the ground,

"Dammit! She's so aggravating!! Why the hell did I agree to work for her in the first---"

He grunted, dropping to his knees as he clamped a hand to his head. His head throbbed painfully, and his eye felt as if it were going to explode.

~ø~

Eve mentally growled as she stormed down the road, her jaw tense,

_'Why on earth did I ever think of hiring him? He's so...irritating!'_

Clouded in her thoughts, she walked past five different bars, soon coming to the central plaza. She straightened. Why were there so many people here?

_'"In a big city, a plaza like this one would be totally packed."'_

She gasped as she spotted him. There he stood at the centre of the plaza, his back to her. He was wearing the same, cream-coloured suit he always wore, and his lime-coloured hair fluttered gently beneath his matching, cream hat. She took a step closer, her eyes unblinking.

_'"The Potato Tossing Fest in Vista City? There are so many people there, you can't even move."'_

As she drew closer to him, more people began to pack into the plaza, blocking her view. She could still see him if she stood on her toes. He turned slightly, his eyes shadowed by the brim of his hat,

_'"You should go sometime..."'_

She straightened as she reached a clearing. He was right there. So close she could touch him. He smiled to her, a breathy humour in his voice,

_'"But watch out for flying spuds."'_

She began to step forward, her hand extending toward him unconsciously,

"Sve--"

Suddenly, she stumbled backward, gasping as she hit the floor. Someone ran over to her quickly, kneeling down beside her,

"I'm really sorry! Are you alright?! I didn't mean to hit you..."

She blinked up at them frowning slightly,

"Hit...me?"

Glancing down, she spotted a small potato sitting beside her leg.

Upon hearing his airy laugh, she gasped, glancing back at the place he had been standing. The space was vacant, and she straightened, spotting him farther down the road. Quickly, she stood, pushing past the pink-shirted man with a stressed cry,

"Sven!"

The man fell back onto his rear as she ran away, raising an eyebrow in confusion,

"What the...?"

~ø~

Merrick whimpered loudly at the pain in his head, an elderly woman nearby hobbling over to him,

"Are you all right, young man?"

Something snapped then, in the back of his mind, and the pain ceased. Scooping his hat up off of the ground, he stood, glancing over at her with a smile,

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine. Thank you for asking, ma'am."

Pulling the beanie back onto his head then, he took off quickly down the road, a bead of sweat running own his face.

~ø~

Eve panted as she chased his fleeting figure through the busy crowds of Vista, sweat trickling down her face. She pushed passed excited festival-goers, her throat beginning to tighten as she continued to lose sight of him,

"Sven!"

His laugh echoed in her ears, his smile in her thoughts. She could see him just up the road...just passed this crowd. But the crowd continued to grow larger, and she was finding it hard to navigate through the sudden ocean of people. Gasping, she hopped up on her toes, squeaking out painfully,

"Sven! Sven, wait!!"

He kept going. Biting her lip, she ducked back down, tearing through the crowd anxiously. She couldn't let him leave her sight. Not again. Not this time. Taking in a frightened gasp, she blinked, a tear flying from her cheek,

"Sven!! Wait! Please!! Don't go!"

Finally breaking through the crowd, she gasped, running smack into,

"Eve! What happened!?"

She glanced up at them, gasping softly,

"Merrick?"

Quickly, she pushed past him, her eyes scouring the area for any sign of the lime-haired man. There were none. He was gone. Again.

Biting her lip, she lowered her head, hugging herself tightly. The muddy-haired boy straightened, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder,

"Eve? You okay?"

She turned on him suddenly, her eyes streaming with tears,

"JUST GO AWAY!!"

He stepped back from her, eyes wide as she continued to scream at him,

"I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP!! I NEVER NEEDED YOUR HELP!!"

The blonde then turned away from him and ran on down the road, tears soaking into the asphalt as they fell. He stood there in her wake, stunned. Lowering his head, he sighed deeply, eyes narrowed,

"Eve..."

_THWACK._

He grunted, his eyes drooping closed as he collapsed to the ground. A man stood behind him, shaking his hand out,

"Well, now...looks like you won't be going anywhere for quite awhile, will you? Fitty-grand...."

They grinned.


	9. VIII

**VIII**

_"Well, aren't you a cute boy? What's your name little one?"_

_He glanced up from his colouring book to see the gentle face of an elderly woman standing over him. Blinking, he remained silent. She just smiled,_

_"Oh my! That's one flamboyant elephant you've got there."_

_He glanced down at the page. He'd coloured his elephant lime green with blue polka dots. She knelt down next to him, placing a hand on his back,_

_"Has your elephant got a name?"_

_He ducked his head down. She sighed at that, placing a finger to her lip,_

_"No? Then I guess we'll just have to think of one, won't we? How about, Mory--"_

_"You don't want me."_

_The woman straightened, glancing down at him in confusion,_

_"What?"_

_"You don't want me," he continued, his voice soft and sad._

_"And just why wouldn't I want you, hmm?"_

_"Because..."_

_He turned to her, his eye tired and full of pain,_

_"I'll kill you."_

_Suddenly, the room became filled with flames, and he stood up. His eyes widened as he found her body, engulfed in fire at the centre of the room._

_"MAGGIE!!"_

_**"Wake up!!"**_

_----_

Merrick grunted as he came to, his face stinging with pain. He could feel blood tricking down his cheek, the source of the aching. From the echoing of voices around him, he gathered that he was in a storage facility or a warehouse of some kind. His vision finally coming into focus, he glanced up at the man towering over him, teeth grit tightly together. The man had greasy, grey hair and a crooked smile,

"Ah, lookie here, boys! Meal Ticket's finally awake..."

The muddy-haired boy raised an eyebrow at them, confused,

"Meal ticket?"

"Shaddup!"

The man abruptly back-handed him, Merrick clattering to the floor. It was at this point that he realised he had been tied to a chair. Cursing softly, he lifted his head up off of the ground, unable to see much due to the waterfall of hair that blocked his vision. His captors beginning to chuckle. The grey-haired man crouched down in front of him, lifting the hair from his eyes,

"Now tell me, boy...where's that pretty little thang you was with earlier?"

"Pretty little thing," Merrick began, snorting softly,

"Sorry, don't know what you're talking about. You must be mistaking me for someone else--"

The man promptly kicked him in the gut, arising a pained cough from him,

"Really? You don't know?"

The boy silenced, glancing up at him with a scowl. This made him laugh,

"Oh my! What's that sour face for, kiddo? It ain't my fault you got a fitty-grand bounty on your head!"

Merrick's eyes widened,

"A fitty-grand--...a fifty-grand bounty?"

"Yeah," the grey-haired man said, pulling out the wanted poster,

"And that sweet thang you was with gits me an extra ten-grand if I turn her in safe an' sound. Now, tell me...where is she?"

The muddy-haired teen growled at that, clenching his fists behind him,

"I'd rather die than tell you that."

"Oh really?"

He knelt back down, lifting Merrick's chin into his palm. Pulling a dagger from his pocket, he pressed the blade to the boy's neck, his eyes gleaming viciously,

"That can be arranged..."

~ø~

She sat at the water's edge, the gentle waves washing over her toes. Seagulls cawed above her. Sea life crawled around her. But she was all alone. Sighing deeply, Eve rested her chin on her knees, her arms wrapped underneath her legs. She gazed at the water, her golden hair fluttering in the breeze. She'd been on a beach like this once before...

_'"What are we doing here?"'_

_'"Eh, I thought we could use a little time off for a change!"'_

_'"Time off? Train, we've got too much work to do to be taking leisurely time off. Or have you forgotten about our debts?"'_

_'"Aw, I haven't forgotten! It's just you haven't had time to unwind in a long time! How about you enjoy it instead of griping?"'_

_'"I'll enjoy it when we're debt free."'_

_'"Oh, don't be so sour, Svenny-baby! It's not my fault that you wore a suit to the beach. Besides, Princess seems to be enjoying herself..."'_

She closed her eyes, her body shaking as a cold wind blew past,

_'"Look!"'_

_'"Oh, what's that you've got there, Eve?"'_

_'"It's a pair of shells. They look like they match, but one's much smaller than the other."'_

_'"They're very pretty."'_

_'"........."'_

_'"Eve? What is it?"'_

_'"I....I want you to have one, Sven."'_

She could see his smile as he took the shell she held out for him,

_'"Thank you."'_

Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as she shuddered, her gasps short and painful as she squeezed her eyes shut,

_'Sven....'_

The petite blonde didn't even sense it as they stalked up behind her, grabbing her suddenly. She let out a shrill scream, barely able to react as they clamped a sopping-wet handkerchief over her mouth and nose. Her eyes widened at the odd odor,

_'What....!?'_

Everything went blank.

~ø~

Merrick groaned as he watched his attackers pacing the floor. The grey-haired man's name was Eugene Barber. Apparently, Barber was one of the most famous sweepers in Vista...not to mention the most ruthless. His body ached from the beatings, his stomach in particular. For some reason, Barber had a fondness for kicking it. As soon as the musing had left his mind, Barber again came over, kicking him in the gut,

"Well, kid. You ready to talk, yet? Or do I have'ta grind you to a pulp?"

"Do your worst."

The grey-haired man grinned, squatting down in front of him with a smirk,

"You know, kid, I gotta hand it to ya. You're pretty brave to be bold-facin' me the way ya are. But what you don't seem to grasp here is...I'm the one whose holdin' all the cards."

He slapped Merrick across the face, the boy letting out a yelp. He bit his lip then, to silence himself. Barber grinned,

"What's the matter? Can't stand the pain no more? I bet you're just wishin' you could go home and cry to your momma--"

"My mother's dead," he groaned, glaring up at Barber defiantly,

"I cry to no one."

"Well, well," Barber began, standing with a grin,

"That's too bad. And here I was hoping to get a few tears out of you!!"

He kicked the boy in the chin, causing him to scoot back a few feet. Merrick winced, the deep scratches left by Barber's boot oozing with blood.

Barber chuckled at that. He straightened upon hearing the creak of the warehouse door opening behind him and grinned. One of his henchmen came walking in; a young girl in his arms,

"Well, looks like we won't have to pry it out of you after all..."

The boy's eyes widened and he cursed, his body tensing,

"Eve!"

The girl was unconscious. Scowling, Barber glanced back at Merrick, booting him in the chest,

"Shaddup!"

He then headed over to the henchman, looking Eve over thoughtfully,

"She _is_ a pretty one...would seem'a waste to just return her..."

He ran his hand along her cheek and down her neck, a disgusting grin crossing his lips. Merrick cursed, shifting around in his ropes as he watched them lay her down on the cold ground. If he could just shift a bit more...he could get loose...and then he could stop them...before they.....

"I want a run too, Boss!"

"Yeah, me too!"

"Shaddup, you'll all git your turns."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Barber growled, turning around angrily,

"You still blabberin' you little shi--?"

His eyes widened as a tan-and-black blur collided with his face, sending him skidding across the floor. His henchmen gasped, a couple running to his side,

"Boss! Are you okay!?"

Barber gasped as he glanced up, shaking his head as he glanced back and forth between Merrick and the now-empty chair,

"What the...? I don't understand! How can you be--"

The boy grinned, pulling out the dagger he'd been threatened with earlier,

"Sticky fingers."

He then dropped it and sped toward Barber, the grey-haired man letting out a shrill cry,

"Wha-What are you waiting for!? Stop him!!"

The two men beside him stood then, charging at Merrick with their switch blades drawn. The boy seemed to easily evade them, and even snatched one of their blades as he made his way to Barber. Upon reaching the man, he booted him square in the nose; the man letting out a shriek as he fell flat against the floor. Merrick then made sure to pin him down and held the blade inches from his eyes,

"Who's stopping who now?"

Barber swallowed hard, eyes wide as the blade drew dangerously close to his left eye. His mouth hung open slightly and he squeaked in fear. The muddy-haired boy glared down at him, his eye gleaming brightly,

"Now... how's about you go home and cry to your momma?"

Hearing a shifting in footsteps behind him, he spun around, flinging the dagger. It sailed through the air, sinking into Lackey #1's shoulder. The man let out a cry of pain, falling to his knees. Barber's eyes widened at how precise the boy had thrown the blade and he swallowed hard, voice quaking in fear,

"Who....who the hell are you?"

"Who _I _am doesn't matter. I suggest you and your boys get out of here...before I get angry."

The grey-haired man squeaked again as the boy let him go, calmly striding over to Eve. Gritting his teeth, he let out a fierce cry, standing up,

"You...You sonnova bitch!!"

Pulling a pistol from his black windbreaker; he aimed for Merrick's head. He pulled the trigger. The bullet sailed through the air; aiming to collide with the base of his skull. It missed.

Merrick smirked, turning to Barber with a laugh,

"Was that supposed to hit me? Boy... for a sweeper, you're a pretty bad shot."

The man gasped, quickly turning to his henchmen,

"L-Let's git outta here!"

"But Boss--!"

"No, buts! Let's scram!"

The men scrambled toward the back exit; Merrick keeping an eye on them to make sure they left. After a few moments, the serious look on his face was replaced with surprise and he blinked; a bead of sweat trailing down his cheek,

"That actually....worked?"

Shaking his head, he knelt down beside the petite blonde; his body tensing as he leaned over her,

"Eve!"

She didn't respond. Gritting his teeth, he patted her face gently; his eyes gleaming with worry,

"Eve! Eve!! C'mon, wake up!"

Still giving no response, he cursed; scooping her up into his arms as he dashed out of the warehouse.

~ø~

"Boss! Boss wait up a minute!!"

Barber glanced back at his wounded lackey; fists clenched tightly,

"What!?"

"What's got you so edgy, Boss?"

His other henchman piped up; raising an eyebrow,

"He's just a runt--"

"A runt!? A runt!!? No...no, that boy weren't no runt, I can assure you that."

"Boss?"

Barber shuddered as he turned away from them; his whole body shaking as he spoke,

"A demon...that's what he was. A horrible demon."

~ø~

Merrick ran quickly down the road, sweat beading down his face. Eve hung limply in his arms. Gritting his teeth, he hurried back for the hotel,

_'Hang in there, Eve...'_

_**"He's a demon. It's the only way to explain it. I could see the devil in those eyes."**_

~ø~

_ "Eve. Eve!"_

The tiny blonde groaned as her eyes fluttered open, the image of a man with lime-green hair and a goatee filling her vision,

"Sven...?"

Her eyes focused after a moment or two and her spirits fell as a muddy-haired boy replaced him. He offered her a smile,

"No, sorry. Just me."

She sat up; glancing around in confusion,

"Where...?"

"Back at the room. I found you passed out in the park and figured you'd need some rest. You must've been pretty exhausted to go to sleep there."

He handed her the glass of water that sat on the nightstand beside the bed. She took it silently, raising an eyebrow as she took notice of the bandages on his chin and cheek,

"What happened?"

He blinked innocently at her,

"What do you mean?"

The girl motioned toward his cuts and bruises, and he straightened, laughing a little as he placed a hand behind his head,

"O-Oh, these? I-I had a little run-in with a couple unruly punks while heading back here! B-But don't worry! I took care of 'em..."

He turned his gaze away from her, his eye twitching,

_'Oh like she's gonna buy that...'_

"Did you steal their money or something?"

He grunted, flailing his arms about in rage,

"NO!! I DIDN'T STEAL ANYTHING FROM THEM!! IS THAT SO HARD FOR YOU TO BELIEVE!?!?!"

"Yes."

He grunted, ceasing his exaggerated display as he doubled over in pain. She straightened; extending her hand toward him,

"Merrick, are you--?"

"I'm fine."

She swallowed hard. His tone was oddly stern. After a moment, he smiled; placing a hand behind his head as he raised up,

"Really! I'm okay."

He then stood and headed for the door,

"You should get some sleep. You've had a long day."

"Green hair."

The muddy-haired boy glanced back at her; blinking curiously,

"What now?"

Her eyes fell and she gripped the blanket tightly,

"You asked what Sven looked like. He had green hair...and he also wore an eyepatch."

"He sounds like a pirate."

She growled at him. Smiling a little, he scratched the back of his neck nervously. Sighing then, he stepped out, closing the door behind him,

"Sweet dreams, Princess..."

Her heart stopped at the nickname, but he closed the door before she could say anything more. Sighing, she lowered her head; narrowing her eyes,

_'The park...?'_

Images of the ocean flashed before her eyes. She could still hear the cawing of seagulls and the sound of waves lapping against the shore. She could still feel the wetness of the sand as it squished between her toes. An odd odor then overpowered her thoughts, and the memory dissolved, her expression growing dark,

"But I clearly remember the beach."

~ø~

Merrick leaned back against the door; his head bowed. He clenched his fists tightly; his face hidden in shadow.

_'"Sweet dreams, Princess..."'_

He ground his teeth together; his whole body shaking,

"I'm getting too close."

He staggered over to the couch nearby and plopped down on it; sitting in silence. He leaned his head back; placing a hand to it. It covered the left side of his face. He sighed deeply; his right eye narrowing as he stared at the ceiling,

"Dammit."

~ø~

His expression was grim. His eyes were dark. He marched straight into the briefing room, not even batting an eyelash as the guards drew their weapons on him.

**"**_**Number VII! What is the meaning of this!?**_**"**

He hated those blasted screens. Another little addition to Chronos since Jonas had shown up. Jenos scowled; facing the booming monitor directly,

"Elder Willzark. I need to speak to you about something of great importance, if at all possible, sir."

The elder nodded, motioning to the guards,

**"**_**Lower your weapons**_**."**

They did as they were told and Jenos stepped in further, Willzark nodding him on,

**"**_**Speak.**_**"**

"Elder... there is reason to believe that treason is being committed within the walls of this organisation."

**"**_**Treason? By whom?**_**"**

At that moment, the door opened again, and in stepped Xiao Li. He straightened, blinking curiously,

"VII? What are you doing here?"

Without a word to him, he turned back to the elders, taking a deep breath,

"A man named Jonas Warren. I have reason to believe he is conspiring against this organisation."

* * *

**A/N: There was error in here somewhere...I forget where. But it's fixed nao I guess! :3**


	10. Special Chapter 01: Traditional Holiday

**A/N: Happy Holidays, everyone! :D**

* * *

**Special Chapter I : Traditional Holiday**

"Wow, it looks like everyone's decked out for Christmas."

Merrick blinked in awe, glancing about in all directions as the two of them traversed through the bustling shopping mall. Eve nodded, sighing deeply as she headed toward the food court,

"It _is_ the 1st of December. The stores are getting ready for the holiday rush."

"Oh, well _excuse me_ for not noticing. We _have_ been on the road a lot lately, you know."

The boy groaned, shoving his hands in his pockets. He sighed,

"So, what are you used to doing on Christmas?"

"Used to doing? What do you mean?"

Merrick stopped, his eyebrow beginning to twitch,

"Please tell me you're joking."

The blonde turned to him, raising an eyebrow,

"Joking? What would I be joking about?"

"Surely you and that 'Sven' guy had to've done something for Christmas!! Decorate a tree, visit with Santa, make a snow man...something!"

Eve lowered her head, sighing as she turned away from him,

"We...we never got a chance to."

The muddy-haired boy straightened, his heart sinking a little in guilt,

"Wh-What?"

"We only had a few Christmases together and most of the time we were too busy tracking targets. We never had the chance to make a tradition. There was really on one time..."

He swallowed hard. Her voice sounded so sad. Taking a deep breath, he placed both hands behind his head as they began walking again,

"Well...what did you do on _that_ Christmas?"

She bowed her head, her voice soft,

"I..."

_'"Sven..."'_

"I..."

_'"Did you make this, Eve?"'_

_**"I made a cake."**_

--_Twenty Four Days Later--_

"OW! That's hot!!"

Eve frowned as she woke from her sleep, sitting up in bed. She glanced over at the clock beside the bed. It was only 4AM. Raising an eyebrow as she heard another curse, she climbed out of bed, where nothing but a white, long-sleeved shirt and a pair of pink-and-white boyshorts. She slipped on a pair of pink, fuzzy slippers that she'd bought at the store the other day, and cautiously stepped out of her bedroom.

Her eyes widened in surprise. Merrick was in the kitchen, hovering around the oven. She smiled a little, noticing the Santa Claus hat on his head. He cursed again and jumped back from the stove; Eve laughing a little. Hearing her laughing behind him made him jump again and he spun around; his visible eye wide,

"E-Eve! What're you doing up?"

"You're loud cursing somehow wafted it's way into my room. What're you doing?"

He straightened, stepping in front of the oven to block her view,

"N-Nothing!!"

The blonde raised an eyebrow at him, frowning,

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure! It's nothing! Everything's fine out here! You just go back to bed, okay?"

She sighed deeply, folding her arms,

"I don't know...what if you're planning to burn the house down?"

"I'm not," he began, bounding over to her quickly.

He turned her around, pushing her back towards her room,

"So, you just go rest your pretty little head, okay? Everything's fine! Don't you worry!"

Eve glanced back at the kitchen as he pushed her, straightening when she spotted what was resting in the oven,

"Is that...?"

The muddy-haired boy sighed, slumping slightly as he stepped away from her,

"Yeah..."

She stepped around him, slowly heading over to the oven.

"You made a cake?"

He sighed, yanking off his hat and scratching his head,

"I...uh...I thought you might like it. You have no idea how hard it was to find a cook book with a simple cake in it! I looked in every store, but they all wanted me to add nuts, or fruit...but since we're on such a tight budget right now, I knew I couldn't get the nuts or the fruit or the book _itself_, for that matter! So, I kinda went to the library and one thing lead to another and I kinda ripped a page out of the one _at_ the library--"

She spun on her heel, her hair whipping her shoulder,

"You made a cake...for me?"

The boy turned beet red; shoving his hands into his pockets,

"W-Well....yeah. You said you made a cake for Sven on Christmas...so I thought...I thought I'd make you a cake for Christmas. Kinda...make it like a tradition."

He swallowed hard, shrugging as he sighed,

"But if you hate the idea, then we can always throw the cake out the window! I'm sure the birds wouldn't mind it, and hell, the hobos would love the free meal--"

His train of thought ended abruptly as the girl crashed into his chest. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, and he could feel her shaking. The sound of her soft sobbing soon met his ears, and he let out a puff of air, the heaviness of guilt on his shoulders,

"H-Hey now...don't cry! I...I didn't do it to upset you...if you hate it so much you can just dump it on my head--"

"No..."

He glanced down at her, blinking in surprise as she looked up at him with a smile,

"It....it's very sweet."

The blinked in surprise as she buried her face in his chest, her grip on him seeming to tighten,

"Thank you."

With that, he smiled.

-.ð.-

_**"Merry Christmas, Eve."**_


	11. IX

**IX**

_Brrrr. Brrrr. Brrrr._

**Please leave a message after the tone.**

_Biiiiiiiiiip._

"Hey Rins, it's Train. Just wondering if you had any info on that kid yet. Call me back when you do."

The 29-year-old sighed, clapping his phone shut. After a moment or two, he stood up, heading down the street. Vista was exactly how he remembered it. Packed and populated...especially during the Potato Tossing Festival. He didn't understand it. What exactly was the pull of throwing spuds around? A hard clunk on his head and he groaned, his eyebrow twitching violently as a good-sized potato fell to the ground beside him.

"Sorry, sir!"

He waved it off, shoving his hands in his pockets as he continued down the road. He couldn't believe how cold their trail had gotten. Pulling his phone out again, he sighed, flipping it open. It didn't help that Eve didn't have her phone on. Maybe her captor had tossed it when he'd taken her? He still couldn't believe that she'd been overpowered by that boy. Whoever he was, he surely couldn't have been a normal person...

~ø~

She sunk lower in her chair, feeling their eyes staring into her soul. Her eyebrows twitched. The boy beside her, however, was completely oblivious. Turning his way, she glared at him silently. She almost felt like covering his face with a pillow just to silence his snoring. It seemed to grow louder by the second. She also noted the drool that ran so _beautifully_ down his chin. Sighing in relief as the train slowly came to a stop, she used her hair-transformed hand to whack him in the back of the head.

The muddy-haired boy jumped as he opened his eyes, startled,

"What! What is it?"

"We're here."

He blinked mutely as Eve got up from her seat, and gathered her things from the overhead compartment. Back in Vista they'd made sure to buy new supplies, as they'd lost their old in Elsida. Eve had gotten herself a few new outfits_**---**_mostly corsets, skirts, long sleeves and tight pants_**---**_while he had bought only one change of clothes_**---**_a brown shirt and a pair of black pants. They'd also stocked up on a variety of instant noodles for the road. Plucking his sack out from under his chair, he hurried off of the train after her,

"Hey, wait up!"

~ø~

"C'mon! We have to hurry!"

The two of them jogged down the street, pushing passed their fellow pedestrians in excitement. The curly-haired girl grinned as she glanced back at him, her glasses gleaming in the fading sunlight,

"If we don't hurry, we'll miss the show! C'mon!!"

He grinned, throwing to the ground what appeared to be a skateboard. He hopped on, scooping her up as he soared forward. She let out a frightened squeal, burying her face in his chest,

"Why do you always have to do that!?"

"What? You don't want to be late do you?"

His eyes widened as they soared past a television repair shop, catching briefly what the TVs were airing. He stopped his board, slowly back tracking. The girl raised an eyebrow as he gazed at the screens, confused,

"What's wrong?"

He remained silent as the face of a familiar blonde flickered at him, the words **Two Months And Still Missing** burning themselves into his eyes. Setting the girl back on the ground, he turned the board around, his sky-blue hair whipping him in the face as he sped away from her. She called after him, her voice laced with worry,

"Leon!? Leon, what's wrong!? Where are you going!?"

~ø~

"So, who's your target this time?"

Merrick asked as they stepped into the motel, heading to the front desk. Eve pulled a sheet of paper from her pants' pocket, unfolding it and handing it to him,

"His name is Edward Radcliffe. He's been involved in quite a few robberies in the area, almost all of which included hostages."

"And his bounty?"

"It's worth nearly $900,000."

The muddy-haired boy let out a loud whistle, his visible eye widening,

"That's quite a hunk of cash. Isn't that kinda bounty designated for higher class criminals?"

"Yes. And your point?"

"Isn't that a bit out of your league?"

_THWACK._

He groaned, a beautiful lump developing under his hat. Upon reaching the front desk, he sighed, glancing around,

"Nobody's here."

That's when he noticed the bell. He tapped it once. Then twice. Then a few more times. He grinned from ear to ear. Eve let out a groan. This boy was completely retarded.

"It's called being easily amused, _thanks._"

Apparently, she had voiced her thoughts aloud. Again. She had to stop doing that.

"You're still talking, you know."

She knew.

"Seriously. Stop that."

It was at that moment that the clerk decided to finally meander out of the back room to help them. He was a scrawny man with a bald spot, and a long, black beard that stuck out from side to side. Merrick wondered idly if he gelled it just to get it to stick out like that.

"_Excuse_ me?"

The man was now glaring at him. The boy jumped, placing a hand behind his head as he began to chuckle nervously,

"Wh-Wha? O-Oh, nothing! Nothing! I didn't say anything. Nope, nothing at all!! Silent as a lamb over here, yep! That's me!!"

Eve snickered.

The man's eyebrow twitched, and he growled lowly,

"May I help you?"

The petite blonde nodded shortly,

"Yes. We were wondering if there were any rooms available that we could stay in."

He nodded, stepping over to his computer and clicking around a bit. After a few moments, he turned to them, forcing a smile,

"Why, yes. We have quite a few rooms open. Would you like me to set you up in one?"

Merrick snorted, whispering to her over his shoulder,

"No, we just came here to window shop."

_THUMP._

He groaned as he fell to the floor, holding his gut tightly as he shivered in pain. She rubbed her elbow sorely,

"Yes, we'd like the cheapest room you have, please."

"All right. Will that be one bed or two?"

"One."

The man stopped, raising a judgemental eyebrow at the girl,

"Oh?"

"Oh, like I'd ever want to do anything with _her_!"

_SLAM._

Merrick whimpered, a tear falling from his eye as he painfully tended to his nose. Eve growled, her fists tightly clenched at her sides as she spoke through her teeth,

"Yes. One bed."

"Here are your keys. It's $45 a night. Room 220."

"Thank you."

They started up the stairs, Merrick pouting angrily behind her,

"You didn't have to hit me, you know."

Reaching their room at the end of the hall, Eve sighed and unlocked the door. She stepped inside, shutting the door behind her before Merrick could step inside. He straightened, banging on the door,

"Uh, hello! I'm still out here! Hey!!"

"I have to take a shower."

"And your point?"

He scowled as she opened the door slightly, poking her head out,

"Do you want to see me naked?"

Blushing brightly, he took a step back, stuttering,

"Wh-What!? No!! O-Of course not!"

She then slammed the door again, shouting to him from inside,

"Then wait out here."

He blinked silently, letting out an aggravated groan as he hung his head.

~ø~

He jerked the taloned-glove onto his right hand, adjusting it accordingly to fit.

_**"Jonas Warren?"**_

**"Yes, sir."**

Shoving his cell phone into his pocket, he sighed deeply.

_**"I am terribly sorry, Number VII...but there is no such man named Jonas Warren in this organisation."**_

He headed out the door. If he remembered correctly, the room Belze had talked about was just two floors down from his quarters.

**"Sir, there must be some mistake. I saw him walk right in here just weeks ago--"**

_**"Are you meaning to suggest that we are lying, Number VII?"**_

**"No, sir...I'm not suggesting that at all--"**

_**"Then believe us when we tell you...there is no such man as Jonas Warren within Chronos."**_

Jogging down stairs, Jenos smiled to everyone he happened to pass by. He didn't want anyone asking questions, and wearing a stern and serious mug would most likely prompt that. Not to mention it just didn't suit his style.

**"Why didn't you say anything, Li?"**

**"What was there for me to say?"**

**"I don't know, maybe that you also witnessed an Eraser strolling into the briefing room? Maybe back me up when I mentioned Jonas--"**

**"Funny. I seem to remember you saying you didn't want me involved."**

Reaching the first floor, he headed to the end of the hall. He passed through the main hall, the briefing room in sight,

"All right...he said it was somewhere around here..."

His shoes clacked softly against the burgundy marble floor, and he glanced around as he reached the last door in the long hall way. Making sure no one was around, he pressed his ear to the door, listening intently. He couldn't hear anything. Frowning, he went to open it. It was locked. Again, making sure no one was in sight, he used the tip of one of his taloned fingers to pick the lock. After a few minutes, he heard it click and carefully turned the knob. It creaked audibly as he pushed it open, and he jumped, glancing around. No one was coming. Good. Sighing in relief, he stepped inside, shutting the door behind him.

~ø~

"Mr. Warren, sir?"

Jonas raised an eyebrow as a strange beeping filled the air, and he headed over to his young assistant, scowling,

"What's going on?"

~ø~

Upon hearing the echoing of loud voices, Jenos stopped, pressing himself back against the wall.

_"His vitals are dropping, sir. Should I decrease the input ratio?"_

The mahogany-haired man raising an eyebrow curiously,

"Input ratio?"

Taking a deep breath, he edged down the stairs, drawing nearer to the voices.

~ø~

The raven-haired man growled, his sapphire eyes narrowing behind his shades. The young assistant looked to him, swallowing nervously,

"S-Sir? What should I do?"

"Shut down the system."

"Wh-What? Shut it down? The whole thing?"

Jonas nodded, heading toward the door,

"Yes. Just for a few hours, mind you. I believe Mr. Vollfied needs a little time to re-evaluate his priorities."

~ø~

_"U-Um...okay."_

Jenos frowned, his expression beginning to darken,

"Mr. Vollfied? Isn't that the name of XIII's...?"

He peered around the corner as he reached the bottom of the stairs, his eyes narrowing angrily. There stood Jonas Warren at the centre of a gigantic laboratory. He was looking up at something. Jenos watched silently as a blonde youth in a lab coat came up behind him. The boy jumped as Jonas barked at him, his whole body quivering as he walked to the far wall,

"Well? Hurry it up!"

The mahogany-haired stepped an inch or two closer. At the moment, he couldn't see what Jonas and the assistant were tending to as it was blocked from his view. As he reached the very edge of the stairwell, he peeked around the bend. His eyes widened. Lying strapped to a metal slab that was bolted to the wall was Train Heartnet's lime-haired friend, Sven Vollfied. He clenched his fists tightly, a bead of sweat trailing down his face,

"What the hell...is going on around here?"

~ø~

Merrick groaned as he continued to sit outside. He had resorted to blowing spit bubbles for entertainment. A well-dressed old man spotted him sitting on the floor as he walked passed, and stared at him a moment. The boy stared back. After that moment, Merrick waved to him cheerily,

"Hi there. Why don't you take a picture? It lasts longer."

The man snorted at him in disgust, marching on down the hall. At this rude action, the boy was prompted by some unseen force to raise up a particularly _friendly_ finger,

"How's this for a photo opp, jerk off...?"

~ø~

Jenos watched quietly as the assistant unhooked him from all of the equipment, the withdrawal of the IVs making him wince. The blonde-haired boy then helped Sven into another room; Jonas following after them. Once they had left, the mahogany-haired man cautiously ventured out into the lab. He took notice of the observation room nearby and hurried inside; taking a peek around while there. He sorted through the papers on the desk, skimming through them for something; anything that would tell him what was going on. That's when he found it,

"Battle reports?"

He read over a few, shaking his head in disbelief,

"He's been monitoring our movements..."

Spotting another paper nearby, he picked it up, reading over it. His heart stopped,

"No. He's been plotting them."

Glancing around hastily, he grabbed a nearby manila folder and began stuffing some of the documents inside. He then put the folder in his coat and headed back out into the lab.

~ø~

Jonas smirked as he stood over the bed, his sapphire eyes gleaming viciously at the lime-haired man,

"You think you're clever don't you...._Sven_?"

The man was unresponsive. He snorted at that, rubbing his temple with his index finger,

"Dying won't get you out of this, you know. I can simply extract that precious eye from your lifeless body and give it to someone else. And you wouldn't want that, now would you?"

He then leaned down, grabbing him by his hair and raising him up to eye level,

"And besides...if you die...who in the world will look after that lovely little bioweapon of yours? She'd be so devastated to hear of your death...but then again...she'd probably be joining you soon enough--"

"Go near her........and I'll kill you."

He shot Jonas a deadly glare, his voice weak and raspy. The raven-haired man let out a laugh, raising an eyebrow curiously,

"You? Kill me? Why, you no longer have the strength to stand on your own two feet_**---**_let alone come after me! What makes you think you even have a chance against me?"

Sven glared at him silently.

Shoving him back down onto the mattress, Jonas snarled in annoyance, heading out the door,

"You might want to get some sleep. Your next shift starts in an hour."

He slammed it behind him, Sven cursing softly as his eyes drooped shut,

"Dammit..."

~ø~

Jenos watched silently from underneath a nearby lab table as Jonas and the assistant came back out of the room. Jonas seemed particularly flustered and his stride was brisk and angered. The lab assistant locked the door behind him, following after Jonas at a timid pace. He listened intently as their footsteps reached the brick stairwell, growing more distant by the minute. When he finally could hear them no longer, he crawled out from his hiding spot and rushed to the door, eyes narrowed,

"So, this is where he's been all this time, huh?"

He remembered hearing about it from Rinslet. Sven had disappeared four years ago when he, XIII, and the little bioweapon girl had reached a city called Cannes. After hearing all of the details from her, he had believed, like everyone _but_ Heartnet and the child, that the man had been murdered. What other conclusion was there? Well, he certainly hadn't expected it to be this one.

Kneeling down, he again used a his taloned index finger to fiddle with the lock. Hearing it click open, he glanced about cautiously, hurrying inside.

Spotting the lime-haired man lying faced down on the bed in the centre of the room, he quickly stepped over to him, placing a hand on his bare back,

"Hey...hey!! Wake up!"

He gave no response. Cursing softly, he grabbed Sven by the arm and slung it over his shoulder, dragging him comically to his feet,

"C'mon, big guy. Let's get you out of here--"

"I wouldn't take another step if I were you..."

Jenos tensed, his eyes widening as he slowly turned to face Jonas Warren, who was now standing in the doorway. He swallowed hard, taking a deep breath,

'_Shit.'_


	12. X

**X**

"I wouldn't take another step if I were you..."

Jenos tensed, his eyes widening as he slowly turned to face Jonas Warren, who was now standing in the doorway. He swallowed hard, taking a deep breath,

'_Shit.'_

"Just where exactly were you planning on taking him...Jenos Hazard?"

He forced a grin, adjusting Sven on his shoulder,

"Hah. As if I'd tell you."

Jonas grinned at that, his glasses gleaming brightly,

"Well, well...aren't we cocky?"

"Aw, now I wouldn't say that. I've just got a lot of confidence, that's all."

"Confidence?"

The mahogany-haired man grinned, a bead of sweat trailing down his face,

"Yeah. Confidence that you won't ever be seeing me again!!"

He slashed a hand through the air, tiny orichalcum wires dancing toward Jonas's face. He pulled them tight as they wrapped around the top of the man's head, grinning widely,

"So long..."

Nothing happened. Jenos gasped at this, his eyes widening in shock,

"What the_**--**_!?"

The raven-haired man began to chuckle, his sapphire eyes vicious as his glasses shattered and fell from his face,

"What's wrong? Are you _that_ surprised?"

He took a step closer; Jenos a step back.

"Didn't you do your research? Or are you even _less_ informed than that _idiot_, Number II?"

"I knew it," the mahogany-haired man growled,

"You _were_ the one who killed Belze. There couldn't have been anyone else."

He swallowed hard, adjusting the lime-haired man again as he started sliding off his arm,

"But I wonder,_Jonas_...how does a guy like you_**---**_an Eraser with no background in hand-to-hand combat_**---**_defeat a strong and powerful guy like Belze? Surely you had to have cheated."

"Cheated," Jonas repeated, a tone of mock hurt in his voice,

"Why...that was only the _half_ of it."

He raised his arm, cackling as it morphed itself into a paper-thin blade. Jenos cursed, his heart racing as the man charged forward toward them...

ø

The door to room 220 finally opened and Merrick stood sighing in relief as Eve stepped out into the hall,

"Finally! I thought I was gonna starve to death out here. What took you so long? Fall in the drain?"

She scowled at him, her fists clenching at her sides,

"It was only 20 minutes."

"Yeah, well tell that to my stomach. Now, let's hurry and get somethin' to eat, I'm_hungry_!"

He started down the hall, the girl trudging after him in aggravation,

"You are so annoying..."

"Can't help it! When the gut tells you you gotta eat, you'd better do as it says!"

Merrick stopped as he reached the stairs, letting out a stifled groan. He grabbed onto the railing, and clasped a hand to his head as he began shaking. Eve straightened, stepping up beside him curiously,

"Merrick? Are you all right?"

He clamped his eyes shut, falling to his knees as the pain intensified. She let out a gasp, kneeling down beside him,

"Merrick!"

ø

"YAAH!"

Jenos leaped backward as Jonas swung, dropping Sven in the process. The lime-haired man hit the floor with a loud thud, unmoving. He cursed as Jonas charged again, ducking around him to the right. His eyes narrowed as he ran back out the door, sweat beading down his face. He bit his lip,

_'Dammit...looks like I'm gonna have to take care of this guy before I can get Heartnet's friend out of here!'_

He spun around, his eyes widening as a barrage of daggers sailed his way. Quickly whipping his hand about, the orichalcum wires of Excelion caught the daggers mid-air, knocking them away from him.

"That's very good, Number VII..."

Jenos glanced over his shoulder, gritting his teeth as he spotted Jonas standing behind him. The raven-haired man chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming murderously,

"But you'll have to do better than _that!!_"

He raised his bladed arm, slashing it through the air. The mahogany-haired man cursed, unable to move in time as the blade collided with his back...

ø

Placing a hand on his back, Eve leaned down, eyes shimmering in concern as the boy continued to shake and whimper,

"Merrick! Merrick, are you all right? Answer me!"

He gave her none. She swallowed hard, sitting up straight as she glanced around. No one was around. Grabbing his arm gently, she leaned down again, trying to see his face. The half she could see, the right half, was contorted in pain.

ø

Jenos staggered back from Warren, hunched over in pain. The gash on his back was deep; he could feel it. It hurt to breathe. Coughing up a little blood, he wiped his mouth, smirking,

"That all you got?"

"Are you saying you want more? Even though you know you're outmatched?"

"Outmatched? I haven't lost yet, have I?"

He spit to the side, forcing himself upright. It stung, but he couldn't focus on that right now. A sly grin crossed his face,

"Besides...I've always been one to gamble."

"Well, then as a gambling man you should know..."

Jenos' eyes widened as a pair of steel wing structures erupted from Jonas' back, and he cursed, clenching his fists tightly.

"It's foolish to bet all your chips on one hand."

He stepped forward, Jenos readying Excelion. As he was about to strike, a voice called out from behind Warren,

"Jenos!"

They both turned, the mahogany-haired man cursing,

"Li!? What the hell are you doing down here!?"

Jonas turned toward him, smirking. Li tensed. Jenos took a deep breath as he caught the look on X's face, and he shook his head, shouting as loud as he could,

"No! Li, get out of here! You're not strong enough to take him! Hurry! While you still have the chance!!"

The raven-haired man ignored him. Seiren drawn, he charged Jonas at full speed. Jenos tensed, swallowing hard,

"Li, no!!"

His eyes widened then, the raven-haired man sailing right over Warren's head. He landed before him, a deadly gleam in his eye. Jenos raised a quivering eyebrow,

"Li...?"

"In truth, Number VII... it was _I_ who was trying not to get _you_ involved in this."

He turned to Jonas, his eyes still hard as stone,

"Shall I finish this for you...sire?"

Jonas smirked, drawing back the bladed wings,

"Well, I suppose that would be all right."

Eyes wide, Jenos watched in disbelief as Li turned to him, Seiren ready for combat,

"Li...no!"

He shook his head, his throat beginning to restrict,

"What the hell are you doing!? I thought your loyalty was to Chronos and Chronos alone--"

"My loyalties _do_ lie with Chronos...that's why I'm doing this. Under the management of Agent Zero, Jonas Warren..."

"Agent Zero...? But Willz--"

He grunted, falling to his knees as a gash appeared across his chest. He glanced down at it in shock, the blood oozing onto his fingertips. He looked to Li, the hurt of betrayal deep in his eyes. Li's face remained as it was, unnaturally stoic and darkened by the shadows,

"Chronos is headed toward a new era, Number VII...and anyone who opposes that era..."

His eyes narrowed,

"...faces **death**."

ø

The muddy-haired boy gasped, his eye widening as he began to cough. Eve, startled, jumped away from him, her eyes wide,

"Merrick?"

He continued to cough, and clamped his hand over his mouth. Quickly, he stood, the coughing growing worse by the minute. He staggered away from her, falling into the wall beside him. She stood, slowly stepping over to him,

"Merrick? Are you okay?"

His fit continued, finally ending after a few more minutes. His finally cough sounded as if it had substance...

ø

Jenos tore down the hall, phone to his ear. As it rang, he glanced behind him, sweat beading down his face. He wasn't sure how he'd gotten out of there, but somehow, he'd made it back up to the surface. He turned his attention back to the front, glancing behind occasionally to see if anyone was coming. The phone continued to ring,

"C'mon...! Dammit, Rins, pick up!"

Finally, it clicked and he could hear a voice at the other end, his heart leaping,

"Rins!"

**"Hey there, this is Rinslet! I'm busy now, so just leave your name and number and I'll get back to you! Unless you're Jenos. Bye!"**

His eyes narrowed at that, his eyebrow twitching furiously,

"Well, she's_obviously_ still mad at me..."

At the sound of the tone, he took a deep breath, glancing back,

"Rins? Rins, are you there? Listen, I know you're mad at me, but I really need you to pick up if you're there! It's important!!"

ø

Rinslet glared at her cellphone as it clicked over to her voice mail, the number displayed on the screen making her growl. She clenched her fist, her eyebrow twitching violently,

"He should know from that message that I'm still mad at him."

ø

"Rins! Rins, I'm serious! Please pick up!! Rinslet!"

He was almost to the door, now. Glancing back again, he was relieved to find that no one was there. Sighing deeply, he turned forward, eyes widening in terror. He felt numb...

ø

Groaning in aggravation, she snapped the phone open, screaming into it,

"What the hell do you want, Jenos!?"

No answer. Her body began shaking in anger, and she clenched her fist tightly at her side,

"Look, I picked up like you wanted, now what is it!? I'm not gonna wait here all day for you to answer!"

ø

**"Jenos. Jenos!! Are you even there?"**

The phone lay discarded beside him, his hand twitching sporadically. Beneath his motionless body, blood began to pool.

**"Listen, you jerk. Don't call me if you don't have anything important to say to me, got it!? I'm hanging--"**

The phone crunched beneath his heavy, black boot, and Jonas smirked, turning to the raven-haired Li,

"Well done, Number X. It looks like I _can _trust you after all..."

"But of course, sire," Li began, his sapphire eyes gleaming as he gazed down at Jenos' body,

"My loyalties lie with Chronos and Chronos alone."

Jonas began to cackle at that, gazing on mercilessly as the mahogany-haired man's blood spread across the marble flooring.

ø

Rinslet straightened at the sudden sound of a dial tone, raising an eyebrow as she pulled it away from her ear,

"--up."

Blinking at it for a moment, she sighed deeply, clapping it shut,

"Whatever."

There was suddenly a knock at her door and she raised an eyebrow,

"A visitor? But who could it be?"

She headed over to the door, blinking in surprise at the man standing there when she opened it,

"What are _you_ doing here?"

ø

The pain in his head finally came to a stop, and the boy took in laboured breaths, the blonde behind him straightening,

"Are...are you okay?"

He turned to her with a smile, his voice strained and hoarse,

"Y-Yeah...I'm just fine."

His legs buckled suddenly and he fell, the girl letting out a loud scream as she caught him,

"Merrick!"

She lowered him to the ground carefully. Swallowing hard, she shook him a little, looking him over carefully. He was unconscious,

"Merrick. Merrick! Wake up!"

It was then that she saw it. All over his hand. Dribbling from his lips. Her eyes widened,

_'Blood...?'_

ø

He groaned as the horrifying vision ended, sweat beading down his face,

_'So...that Number is dead now, too?'_

He coughed, blood flying from his lips as he tried to push himself up. His eyes narrowed,

_'Dammit...I have...I have to get out of here.'_

Feeling a presence nearby, he slowly turned his gaze to his right, eyes widening. There stood that sneaky Number that he'd met with Train and Eve shortly after the hideout of the Apostles of the Star had been destroyed. The one who had posed as a man named Glen and formed the Sweeper's Alliance. The one he'd seen in his vision just now...killing Jenos Hazard. He stood there silently, his face and hands stained with blood.

Sven tensed...

* * *

**A/N: -wibble-...-wibble-...JENOOOOOOOS!! -sobbing-**

**Happy New Year, everyone... -curls up in corner of woe- **


	13. XI

**XI**

_"Are you all alone out here?"_

----

_The little boy glanced up from his swing, eye wide. It was the old woman from earlier. She smiled as she came over to him. Her greying hair was tied up in a bun and her warm, chestnut eyes gleamed in the sunshine. She was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a puffy, red, ski jacket. Tight, black boots trailed up her legs, stopping at her knees. Stepping right up beside him, she pointed to the empty swing to his right,_

_"Mind if I join you?"_

_He shook his head shortly, his bangs flopping about his face. It was silent for a moment, and then she sighed,_

_"So, I heard your name is Merrick. My name is Margaret."_

_He nodded silently. Glancing down at him, she smiled again, _

_"You can just call me Maggie."_

_Again, he only nodded. She sighed, glancing up at the trees all around them,_

_"Looks like the leaves are starting to turn. Do you like fall, Merrick?"_

_He shrugged._

_"What's your favourite season?"_

_He shrugged again._

_"Colour?"_

_Another shrug._

_She laughed a little, sighing deeply,_

_"Why do I get the feeling you don't want to talk to me?"_

_He was silent. The trees rustled overhead, and she turned to him, smiling,_

_"Is there anything you __**will **__tell me about yourself?"_

_"I like pudding."_

_His voice was quieted; hushed. She giggled,_

_"Oh, do you now? Pudding?"_

_He nodded again. Smiling, she pushed herself up out of her swing, stepping over to him,_

_"Well, then... what do you say, Merrick? If you agree to come with me...to let me be your foster mother...I'll make you as much pudding as you like. What do you say to that?"_

_He smiled at her, nodding shortly. She stood extending her hand toward him,_

_"Then, c'mon! By nightfall, I'll have you turned into one big chocolate pudding, how's that?"_

_He took it, shaking his head as they started walking,_

_"No, not chocolate."_

_"Not chocolate? Well, what kind then?"_

_"Pistachio!"_

_"All right, pistachio pudding it is..."_

_-ø-_

_Now, he was running. As fast as his feet could carry him. His heart raced. His skin was cold and clammy. He reached their street, his eyes widening as he gazed upon the burning house at the corner. He could hear the sirens all around him. The scene...it was unreal._

_**'"I'll kill you."'**_

_Tears welling in his eyes, he ran toward the house at full speed, heading for the front door,_

_"MAGGIE!!"_

----

Merrick gasped loudly as he opened his eye, shooting up in bed. He frowned, glancing around. He was now in what he would assume was the hotel room. But how did he get there? Last he remembered, they were going out to eat...but then he'd... He winced a little, remembering the pain. He'd never had one _that_ bad before.

_'After that I guess I passed out...'_

He glanced over at the window, sighing. It was already nightfall. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the covers off, climbing out of bed. Eve must've been pissed having to take care of him so suddenly. Swallowing hard, he slowly opened the bedroom door, peeking out carefully,

"Eve? You out here?"

Stepping out into the room, he looked around, sighing again. No one else was there. He headed toward the front door, musing quietly to himself,

"Maybe she got tired of taking care of me and left town already..."

As he opened it, he jumped. Eve was staring back at him. They were both silent for a moment, the girl frowning,

"Are you going to let me in?"

"O-Oh! Right..."

He stepped aside, letting her in. She headed over to the coffee table, setting the bags in her arms down,

"I got Jipangun. Some teriyaki stuff and noodles."

"You didn't have to do that. If you were hungry, you should've just woken me up. I would've made something. We have food supplies now, you know..."

She silently watched him as he came over to the table to help her. The image of him lying there in the hall with blood dripping from his lips came screaming back to her.

"What is it?"

The blonde jumped, suddenly realising that he was now staring back at her. Shaking her head, she sighed, lowering her gaze,

"Nothing."

He reached in the bag, raising an eyebrow as he felt his hand catch on an oddly shaped container,

"What the...?"

He pulled it out, eyes wide. Glancing over at her, he breathed a laugh,

"A pudding snack?"

She nodded,

"Sven...used to give me pudding when I didn't feel good. He said it would help me feel better, even if it wasn't healthy for me. So...so I thought that if I gave you some...you'd feel better, too. They only had pistachio flavour, though..."

The boy laughed a little, sighing deeply,

"How'd you know that was my favourite?"

She glanced up at him, blinking in surprise. He offered her a smile,

"You know...that Sven of yours? He sounds like a really smart guy..."

Eve smiled in return.

~ø~

Rinslet headed over to the door, blinking in surprise as she opened it,

"Train? What are _you_ doing here?"

The chestnut-haired man sighed deeply, shoving his hands in his pockets as he stepped inside,

"I just got off the train from Vista. I knew you were here in Rubeck on a job, so I thought I'd pop in for a visit."

He glanced around her hotel room, letting out a little whistle,

"Pretty classy there, Rins. Sure you won't get caught being in this fancy hotel and all?"

The lavender-haired woman smirked, folding her arms,

"You think I'd be so easily caught? Besides, the name's Claudia Pinkerton, got it?"

"Got it..._Claudia._"

She headed over to her computer, sighing deeply,

"I'm guessing you didn't just come here to check out the place. You want information, right?"

He nodded shortly,

"Yeah. On that kid I told you about. Got anything for me?"

"Of course."

She pulled up a new window, the boy's police sketch flickering in her eyes,

"It was pretty hard to find anything just going by a picture, but I got a few leads."

She typed in a few controls on the keypad, more windows popping up by the second,

"From what I found out he's around 19-to-20-years-old and he's from Champais Town."

Train leaned over he back of her chair, narrowing his eyes as he looked at the screen,

"Champais Town, huh? Anything else?"

She nodded,

"I ran the picture through the IBI's database. I found only one other record."

A new window popped up, showing the face of a younger boy. His bangs were still parted to one side, but the rest of his hair was shorter and cropped close to his head.

"When he was 12, he was sent to juvenile prison for theft. It says he was part of a small gang that occupied the southern half of the town."

Train leaned in close to the screen, reading over her shoulder,

"M.W....?"

"For younger criminals like this, they only list initials. Don't worry, though. It'll take a bit more searching but his full name has to be out there somewhere."

With a few more clacks of the keyboard, she grinned, clicking on the link she had found triumphantly,

"A-ha!"

Train let out a whistle, leaning over her shoulder again,

"Boy, Rins...you sure work fast."

"Well, of course. What do you take me for?"

As the internet profile loaded, she frowned, raising an eyebrow,

"What? No way...that can't be right!"

~ø~

The boy let out a sigh as he finished his meal, stretching back on the couch,

"Phew! That was great..."

After a few moments, his smile faded into a scowl, and he slumped, glancing over at her from the corner of his eye,

"You're still staring at me. Why?"

Eve jumped, lowering her gaze as she finished her noodles. Sighing, he crawled across the couch, drawing close to her face,

"What's wrong?"

The blonde shook her head, keeping her eyes from him,

"Nothing."

He tilted his head to the side, sitting back,

"C'mon. Spill. What's wrong?"

She turned to him, stifling a laugh. With the way he was acting, he reminded her of a curious puppy.

Lowering her head, she wrung her hands in her lap,

"What...what happened?"

Merrick straightened at that, raising an eyebrow,

"What? You mean in the hall? I just got a really bad migraine, I told you that. Nothing to be worried about--"

"No. That's not what I mean."

She turned to him then, scooting closer. She raised a hand to his face, his eye widening as she swept his waterfall of bangs to the side. So, that's what she had meant. The deep scar running down the left side of his face; covering his eye. She repeated herself,

"What happened?"

Quickly, he jerked away from her, shoving the empty cartons of food into a bag,

"I have to throw these out before the roaches find them."

He headed out into the hall, Eve sighing deeply as she lowered her head.

~ø~

Merrick sighed as he leaned back against the door, bag in hand. He ran his free hand under his bangs, his fingertips gingerly tracing over the scar. Closing his eyes, he could see it again. The blurry faces. The stinging pain as the broken bottle sliced open his face and carved out his eye. It was like he was there again. Gritting his teeth, he let out a wavering breath, angrily storming down the hall.

~ø~

Rinslet straightened as she scrolled down the page, a confused tone in her voice as she read the site's **About** section,

"This page was created...in loving memory of Merrick W. Satcher. On the night of April 15th 2004...a tragic house fire of unknown origins took him so suddenly from us. We, his friends and fellow classmates at South Town High School, have created this page to attest our love for him... this brave soul who gave us his heart and asked nothing from us in return. At only 16, Merrick had the entirety of our school wrapped around his pinky finger. Starting quarterback of the football team...captain of the swim team...co-captain of the basketball team...president of the drama club...vice president of the glee club...active member of the art club...just to name a few. He was the king of practical jokes...much to the dismay of the principal...and kept the staff at South Town High under a state of constant panic for the two years he spent here. It is with a heavy heart that we now must say goodbye to this brilliant star, who, without a doubt in our minds, will forever light the night sky and shine down on us, his friends, at South Town High. Goodbye, Merrick. You shall be forever missed."

Train straightened as she finished, a blank expression on his face,

"So...he's six-feet-under."

The lavender-haired woman sighed deeply,

"It looks like it."

"Then he couldn't be our guy."

"Don't think so. Unless you know how to raise the dead."

The ex-assassin let out a groan, and pulled at his hair,

"What the hell is going on around here!?!"

Rinslet folded her arms and swivelled around in her chair, frowning in thought,

"Perhaps this kid is assuming a fake identity. It's possible he faked his own death to get away from that gang--"

"Or maybe he's assuming this _dead kid's_ identity to escape the authorities. I mean, c'mon...who in their right mind would convict a _dead man_ of kidnapping..."

The lavender-haired woman scowled,

"I don't think that's the case here, Train...seeing as I found all of this by a picture."

"I know!"

He smacked a fist into his palm, and nodded to himself,

"Plastic surgery. That's gotta be it! This kid has had plastic surgery to make himself look like this dead guy, right? That way he can walk freely around in the daytime and nobody would suspect him of a thing!"

_Silence._

"You've been watching too much television, haven't you, Train?"

~ø~

Merrick sighed as he reached the garbage bins; tossing the cartons into them. He then turned to start heading back to the room, raising an eyebrow as he was approached by a man with a thin moustache and stringy black hair. The man smiled at him, his sunglasses gleaming in the streetlamps overhead,

"Your name 'Satcher'?"

The muddy-haired boy remained silent. Laughing, the stranger shrugged his shoulders, sighing,

"Fine. You don't have to spill...your namethat is_._"

A few more men came out from the shadows, their switchblades glowing. The stringy-haired man laughed, licking his knife,

"'Cause in a minute we're gonna be spillin' your guts all over the concrete."

Merrick's eye widened, and he tensed, clenching his fists as they all charged him at once.

~ø~

Eve scowled as she laid in bed that night, her eyebrow twitching violently.

_'"What happened?"'_

_'"I have to take these out before the roaches find them."'_

Let out a soft 'hmph', the girl rolled over onto her side, gazing out the moonlit window,

"If he didn't want to talk about it he could've just said so...instead of storming off like some arrogant..."

She closed her eyes, her eyebrow still twitching.

Images flashed through her mind, images of him lying on the floor earlier, blood dribbling down his chin. She gasped, his personage changing before her eyes. Now, he was a well-dressed, lime-haired man, lying in the middle of a damp alleyway, blood pooling around him. Nearly screaming, she opened her eyes and sat up, her heart racing. Taking deep breaths, she calmed down after a few minutes, lying back down. Her scowl returned, albeit a weak one,

"He's such a child."

~ø~

He gasped violently as he staggered away from them; hand to his stomach. Using the other hand to wipe his mouth, he grinned; laughing painfully,

"Ha. You guys are pretty strong...for _sweepers_..."

The group that had attacked him, a lot of 5 sweepers in total, now lay scattered about the parking lot, various body parts twitching. Merrick grunted as he staggered over to the wall nearby and leaned back against it. He slid down to the street; his bangs shadowing his scarred eye. He stared at his left hand with his open eye; sighing.

_'"What...happened?"'_

He couldn't tell if her concern had been because she actually cared about him or because she was afraid of the sight of it. One long streak down the left side of his face; tracing from his eyebrow down to his upper cheekbone. He hoped it was the first one. Wincing as a slight tinge of pain erupted from the scar, he groaned; clamping his hand onto it,

"After all these years, you're still around little phantom?"

He turned his one-eyed gaze to the moon; eye gleaming solemnly. This was the price he had to pay.

_The price for living._


	14. XII

**XII**

"What...what happened!?"

Merrick blinked curiously at Eve's reaction as he walked through the door the next morning,

"Huh? Happen? What do you mean?"

Maybe she was referring to the slits in his bloodied sleeves... or maybe the black eye? She hurried to the bathroom and grabbed the first aid kit. Running back to him, she grabbed him and dragged him to the couch. Shoving him down, she sat next to him, pulling up his left sleeve first,

"Are those... knife cuts?"

The boy laughed a little, scratching his neck,

"Uh-huh...Well, you see...what happened was I...I kinda got..."

She looked up at him. That gleam was in her eye again. But was it genuine worry? He chuckled through his teeth,

"I kinda got mugged last night."

"You were mugged!? By who! And when!?"

"W-When I took out the trash...some guy and his buddies thought I looked like I had a lot of money on me, so they took a shot at it. They roughed me up a little, but when they realised they had nothing to gain they ran off."

"So...you were out there all alone? Wounded?"

He swallowed hard. The look in her eyes was changing. Her worry was turning into...

"If we see them today...let me know."

The boy straightened; blinking down at her,

"Wh-Why would you want me to do _that_?"

Her face was dark as she continued; bandaging his arms,

"Because...I want to make them pay for what they did to you."

A bead of sweat ran down his face and he gulped. If she ever found out that the truth...about this attack or the last one... he feared he might be on the receiving end of Eve's wrath. No. He knew he would....

~ø~

Train sighed as he sat down on a bench in the park, the wind gently catching his hair. He mindlessly fiddled with his phone, letting out a sigh as he clicked over to the GPS screen. Still no signal. How was he ever going to find them if neither one of them gave him a place to start? He still had a few contacts, but none but Annette were ever that reliable. And Annette was as much in the dark as _he_ was. He clapped it shut one final time, straightening as he heard a voice come from beside him,

"Well, did you find anything?"

He glanced up to see Rinslet standing there. He snorted. Her curly blonde wig looked absolutely ridiculous. Unable to suppress it, he fell over, roaring with laughter. The woman scowled, chucking a rock a his head,

"Shut up!"

Done with his fit soon after, Train sat up again, tears at the corners of his eyes,

"Man, Rins...the humiliation you endure just for a job--!"

"I could say the same for you, Mr. I-Haven't-Caught-A-Bounty-In-Five-Years-Even-When-Dressed-In-Drag--"

He scowled, glaring up at her angrily,

"I told you not to repeat that..."

She sat down beside him, looking up as the trees began to rustle softly in the breeze,

"It just isn't the same without Sven...is it? That's why you stopped."

The chestnut-haired man lowered his head, sighing deeply,

"No. The reason I stopped was because I swore to Eve that I'd find him. I've been too busy searching to bother with sweeping anymore."

"Such a shame..."

"I know, isn't it!? Just as I finally hit my prime, he _has_ to go and get himself kidnapped! I'm tellin' ya! As soon as I find him, I'm kicking his ass--"

"Train."

He silenced at the tone in her voice, lowering his head,

"Don't say it, Rins."

"But Train... it's been four years. How could he possibly be--"

"He's alive."

She turned to him, her blue eyes shimmering in concern,

"How can you be so sure?"

At that, Train smirked, placing his hand behind his head,

"Simple. He's my partner."

~ø~

He grunted as he staggered down the hallway, glancing around cautiously. He couldn't believe how weak he felt. Nearly falling onto the marble flooring, he latched onto the wall, using it to keep his balance. He had to stop from time to time to catch his breath. He knew he'd probably be in better shape right now if it wasn't for the nicotine coating his lungs. Karma could be an ugly bitch sometimes. Reaching another hall, he stopped, edging to the corner carefully. If anyone were to find him now...he'd be as good as dead. Taking a deep breath, he peered around it. Good. The coast was clear. His eyes narrowed as he stumbled down the corridor, his breathing laboured. He bit his lip,

_'I have to find it...fast!'_

~ø~

"Stop!"

Eve huffed as she ran after the man, her black-and-grey-striped sweater battering violently in the breeze. The man glanced back, swallowing hard as spotted her,

_'Shit! She's gaining on me!'_

His eyes widened as he turned around, his foot snagging on what appeared to be,

_'A jump rope!?'_

He landed flat on his face, growling as he heard the sounds of laughter. He glanced up to see a young girl nearby, giggling. There was another on his other side. She, too, was in stitches. Cursing, he went to grab one of the children, his eyes widening as a tanned boot suddenly set itself down on his hand,

"I don't think so, _Mr. Radcliffe_."

He growled, his eyes meeting the image of a boy in black jeans and a brown t-shirt that read '_Monkey Placenta_' in bright yellow block-lettering. A black back pack hung from his left shoulder. A black beanie with a cat emblem embroidered on it topped the outfit off. The boy had muddy-brown hair, and one smug, bluish-grey eye gleamed down at him,

"It's not nice to pick on the little ones. They're the future of our country and we oughta protect them...am I right?"

He growled, pulling away from the boy and pulling out his pistol. He aimed it straight for the girl, and cursing, Merrick quickly grabbed her, using his own body as to shield her,

"No!"

The girl screamed, burying her face in his chest as she heard the bullet sound. Nothing happened. The girl peeked open an eye, gasping softly at the sight of a giant, winged-shield sitting between them and Radcliffe. Merrick smiled as he glanced over at Eve, the shield suddenly morphing into a hand that wrapped itself around the criminal.

Radcliffe let out a cry as he was lifted into the air, Merrick turning back to the girl,

"See, I told you everything would be all right."

She smiled, nodding shortly.

"So, _that_ was your plan?"

The muddy-haired boy turned to Eve, blinking innocently,

"Oh, what ever do you mean?"

The blonde was scowling,

"I heard you whispering when you ran off earlier. _'I think I've got an idea on how we can nab this Radcliffe guy'._"

He swallowed hard, scratching his neck nervously,

"O-Oh...did you now?"

Eve let out an aggravated sigh, clenching her fists at her sides,

"I can't believe you would stoop so low as to using a child to help us catch a bounty!"

"Well, it worked, didn't it?! And I didn't see any of your plans following through _Little Miss Sweeper_!"

"How many people did you trip with that rope waiting for Radcliffe to show?"

He gulped, he and the little girl exchanging glances. A sudden shout came from behind him and they both gasped, swivelling around in surprise.

"There they are! Over there!! Those are the kids that tripped me!"

Merrick's eyebrow twitched as he spotted quite a few angry pedestrians standing across the road...with a police officer. Swallowing hard, he turned back to Eve, grabbing her by the hand as he took off,

"I think it's time that we ran!!"

"Come back here!!"

"You won't get away with this, you little punk!"

~ø~

They both gasped for air as they rounded the corner and entered City Hall, Merrick slamming his back against the glass door as it clamped shut behind them,

"Phew....that was close."

He glanced over at the blonde, laughing a little,

"Was it good for you?"

She glared at him silently. His laughter ceased. Quickly. She headed up to the clerk's desk, sighing deeply as a teller approached her, smiling,

"Hello, and welcome to Fector Town Hall. How may I help you today?"

"We're here to collect the bounty for Edward Radcliffe."

The woman laughed, sighing as she shook her head,

"I'm afraid we can't just _give_ you the bounty, young lady. You need to hand us proof that you caught him."

Groaning, Eve swung her hair-fist around to the front, an unconscious and drooling Radcliffe in it's grasp,

"Will this do?"

The teller swallowed hard, her eye twitching as a bead of sweat trailed down her cheek,

"Wh-Why...I..."

Both Merrick and Eve glared at her silently. She gulped, taking a deep breath as she straightened,

"I...guess?"

~ø~

"Man, oh, man! Nine-hundred grand! Now, THAT'S a sweet pay check."

Eve lowered her head as they walked, sighing deeply,

"I'm glad you like it."

Merrick glanced down at her, raising an eyebrow quietly. She seemed...upset about something. Sighing, he smiled, patting her shoulder as they reached the crosswalk,

"Hey."

She turned to him, and he could see the worry in her eyes. Offering her a smile, he placed the money in his bag, slinging it over his shoulder,

"How about we go look around town a little? See if we can dig up anything on Sven?"

Her eyes brightened as he spoke, and she nodded, both of them heading across as the street cleared.

~ø~

"Are they in sight?"

_"Yes, sir. I can see them heading down the road. They're headed your way."_

"Good...and you have the item?"

_"Yes. I managed to grab it from the room, just as you asked."_

"Excellent. Wait until I give the signal...then carry out your instructions."

_"Yes, sir. Will do."_

His sapphire eyes narrowed as he snapped his phone shut, heading around the corner. He headed north. If those imbeciles were right, his prey was heading straight for him.

~ø~

Merrick shivered as a strong breeze blew past, rubbing his arms with gloved hands,

"Man, is it cold out today!!"

"I told you to put on something warmer," Eve stated bluntly,

"It _is_ November, after all."

He glared down at the petite blonde, scowling,

"You never hesitate to rub it in my face, do you?"

"Nope."

The boy groaned slouching as he walked. His eye widened suddenly, and he gasped, clamping a hand to his head. Another one, though this one was not as bad as the one he'd had the other day. This one was just a dull ache in the back of his head, rather than a stinging pain that pierced every thought in his--

"Gaah!"

He fell to his knees, hand clamped to his head,

_'Spoke too soon....I guess...'_

Eve spun on her heel, quickly kneeling at his side,

"Merrick!"

She placed a hand on his arm, her eyes wide in concern,

"Are you okay? Should we go back to the room?"

Groaning, he shook his head, the pain easing a little as he stood,

"N-No. If we're ever going to find Sven, we have to keep looking. And that's what you want right?"

She nodded, lowering her head,

"Yes, but...if you're in pain--"

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine."

He started down the sidewalk, taking a few steps ahead of her. The girl sighed, starting after him slowly,

_'But...if you're in pain....I don't want you to get any worse.'_

Merrick shoved his hands in his pockets as they continued down the street. His head pounded slightly, but _that_ minor pain wasn't what had him preoccupied,

_'She's...she's starting to worry about me. Whether or not it's because she really cares doesn't matter now...'_

He scowled, turning his one-eyed gaze to the sky,

_'I can't let this go on...If I get too close to her then she'll...'_

Stopping in his tracks suddenly, he straightened, spotting a man in a long, dark coat a little ways ahead of them. The man's raven hair was slicked back behind his ears with a few greying stripes here and there. His coat battered freely as he walked, as did the tan scarf around his neck.

He smirked at Merrick, bringing a hand up to remove the sunglasses hiding his eyes. Merrick straightened at the intensity of the man's steely, sapphire glare, and he quickly whipped around on his heel, eye wide,

"Eve, run! Get out of here!"

The blonde straightened, gasping as someone behind her grabbed hold of her arm. She glanced back to see a dusty-haired man, in a knee-length coat and suit beneath. He too wore sunglasses. Looking down at her, his grip on her arm tightened,

"I strongly advise against that...Miss Eve."

Eve frowned, tensing wearily,

"How...how do you know my name?"

"Why, we know all there is to know about you, Miss Eve."

She and Merrick turned to the raven-haired man coming up the road. The man smiled, stopping a few feet away from the muddy-haired boy,

"For instance...as of five years ago, you were entrusted to the care of a one Annette Pierce by your guardian...an ex-assassin by the name of Train Heartnet, I believe?"

The girl narrowed her eyes, clenching her teeth tightly together as he continued,

"Not to mention the devastation you faced over the tragic loss of your _other_ guardian...Sven Vollfied."

He pulled a sheet of paper from his coat and snapped it open, placing a pair of reading glasses on his face,

"Was last seen in the city of Cannes on July 6th, 2003. Witness reports tracked him to an alleyway, in which a crime scene was discovered. Trash bins tossed about, chunks of brick wall gutted, considerable amounts of blood, a discarded pack of cigarettes...and a hat. A hat which you happen to carry on your person at all times...isn't that so?"

Merrick's eye widened and he glanced back at the girl. She had her head bowed, and though her eyes were shadowed, he could see the glimmer of tears racing down her cheeks,

"What do you want?"

Her voice crackled as she spoke. The man folded the paper back up, and placed it, along with his glasses, back into his coat,

"Forgive us. We haven't been introduced. Agent Jonas Warren of the IBI. The man behind you is my partner, Emilio Lowe. We are here on a matter that concerns your safety, Miss Eve. The apprehension and arrest of the fugitive 'Merrick Satcher'."


	15. XIII

**JULY 7, 2009 EDIT: Tweaked Eve's character a should be back on track now...more or less. **

**Also, R.I.P. Sven the Zen. 4/18/2008-7/6/2009. You will be missed.**

* * *

**XIII**

"What...did you just say?"

Merrick's eyes widened as Eve looked up at him; her eyes just as wide and perhaps filled with more shock than his own. The man repeated himself,

"We are here on the matter of the apprehension--"

"I heard that! But...but what do you mean...fugitive?"

The raven-haired man straightened; blinking curiously,

"What? Are you saying you don't know?"

"Don't know what?"

"Of your kidnapping? You are a hostage, Miss Eve...were you not aware?"

The blonde shook her head; her eyebrows furrowed deeply,

"No. There must be some mistake. Merrick didn't kidnap me. I hired him to help me look for Sven."

Warren blinked again; laughing softly,

"Is that what he's lead you to believe? Why aren't you a professional, _Mr. Satcher_."

Merrick growled; fists clenched tightly at his sides,

"Shut up! I don't know what your talking about! The name's Merrick by the way. Or isn't that on your paper, too?"

The man chuckled at that; smiling cheerfully at the boy,

"I'm sorry, _Mr. Satcher_. But due to your lack of having an authentic identity, I'm afraid we don't have much information on you to go by."

Eve frowned; raising an eyebrow curiously,

"Lack of...authentic identity?"

"That is correct, Miss Eve."

Lowe spoke from behind her,

"The IBI was unable to bring up any records involving a Merrick Satcher...at least not a living one, that is."

The blonde shook her head; a confused tone lacing her voice,

"A living one? I don't understand..."

Her ruby eyes turned to the muddy-haired boy; who turned his head away from her,

"Merrick?"

Warren sighed; glaring down at the boy,

"Why don't you tell her yourself, _Merrick_? Tell her the truth about you? Tell her who you _really_ are?"

The boy was silent for a moment; his eyes viciously narrow. He didn't look up. He didn't need to. His anger was plain as he spoke,

"Sorry, _pal_...but I'm afraid there's no truth to tell. You're gonna have to get your _kicks_ somewhere else."

"Oh, am I?"

Pulling a single manila folder from his coat; Warren cleared his throat, opening it up,

"Then explain to me why I have your death certificate in my hand."

He lifted it from the folder; showing it to them. Eve straightened; her eyes scanning over the paper,

_'Merrick W. Satcher...? But that can't be...'_

Merrick clenched his fists tightly,

"How did you get that?"

"It wasn't hard. All I had to do was run your image through one of our databases to find that _this_ you...."

He flipped through the other contents of the folder, a series of documents pertaining to the death certificate,

"...used to live with his foster mother at 312 Mayberry Blvd in South Champais. He attended South Town High School. He was on the football team, the swim team, the track team and the baseball team...and he even held a spot on the student council. But you probably knew all of that, didn't you? Researching your victim must have been easy, too, seeing as there is an entire 'MaiFace profile' dedicated to him."

"Ha! You hardly made a dent in my school record, _Mr. Warren_. How about I finish it for you? I was also a part of the basketball team, the art club, the Glee club--"

"Enough," Warren began; slapping the folder shut, and glaring at the boy,

"You know that _you_ couldn't possibly have done any of those things, _Mr. Satcher_... because _you_ know on the night of April 14th, 2005, the _real _Merrick Satcher was killed in a deadly house fire that took both him _and_ his foster mother. The death certificate that I hold in my hand is proof of his death. So...tell me, _boy_. Do you still wish to insist that you are who you say?"

The muddy-haired boy simply smirked; look up at Warren defiantly,

"You have no proof that I'm not."

Jonas scowled; growling lowly as he nodded to Emilio,

"In addition to kidnapping, identity theft, and burglary charges, Miss Eve...we have received countless eyewitness reports that place this fraud as the main suspect in the disappearance and probable death of your guardian...Sven Vollfied."

Eve gasped; her entire body going stiff. Did he just say...what she think he did?

_'Sven...?!'_

Merrick's eyes widened as the man spoke; his voice shrill as he shook his head,

"What!? That's insane!!"

He spun around; looking Eve in the eye as he continued,

"Eve, you know that's not true! You know I don't know Sven! I asked you what he looked like, remember!?"

The girl's eyes were glassy as she looked up at him,

"Th-That's right....you couldn't have...."

The muddy-haired boy snorted nervously; swallowing hard as he glared Warren down,

"He just made it up. Isn't that right? You don't have any proof that I did anything to Sven, do you?"

Warren nodded; motioning to Emilio. Clearing his throat, Emilio let go of the girl for a moment; pulling something from his pocket,

"We took the liberty of searching your room and we found it of the utmost urgency to find you. This was in his things..."

He handed her the object; a beaten, leather wallet. What appeared to be blood stained its binding. As she opened it, Lowe continued,

"It belonged to Mr. Vollfied."

Eve gasped as she gazed at Sven's driver's license, and taking a deep breath, she looked through it, finding his sweeper license in there as well.

_'N-No...it can't....!!'_

Swallowing hard, she closed the wallet up and placed it to her heart; closing her eyes tightly. Merrick tensed. She was buying it. This lie that was being spun about him. He could tell by her body language. She was buying the whole thing.

He shook his head and took a careful step toward her,

"Eve...Eve, you know I wouldn't do that to you. You know that if I had any idea where Sven was, I'd tell you right away..."

He placed a hand on her trembling shoulder, his voice softening,

"Don't you?"

Her trembling grew more intense and she ground her teeth together; Merrick jumping as she let out an angered wail. He caught sight of a blade sailing toward him from the corner of his eye and leapt back; eye widening as it sliced a hole in the torso of his shirt. Upon landing, he glanced up at her; swallowing hard. Her hair fluttered around her; each strand tipped with a metal spike. She glared at him; eyes shimmering with tears,

"What have you done with him...!? What have you done with Sven!?"

The boy shook his head; his mouth hanging open as he began to stutter,

"Eve...Eve I didn't--!"

She threw more blades in his direction; her voice cracking as she screamed,

"TELL ME!! TELL ME WHERE HE IS!!"

His eye widened; the edges beginning to shimmer as the blades sailed toward his face. His throat hardened. Those tears. Those tears she cried killed him more than anything. She screamed again; stopping the blades inches from his flesh,

"Tell me....!"

A silent tension hung in there air for a moment or two; Jonas clearing his throat,

"All right...that's enough. I believe we have nothing further to discuss here."

Taking a pair of handcuffs from his pocket, he stepped toward Merrick; grabbing the boy's arm,

"_'Merrick Satcher'_ you are under arrest for the charges of--"

"I'm not going _anywhere _with you!!"

The boy snatched his hand away from Warren; reared back and back-fisted the man in the cheek. He then pushed past him; running as fast as he could down the road. Lowe gasped; Eve pulling away from him and taking off after the boy. Lowe stepped over to Warren; lending him a hand. Groaning, Warren took it and stood; turning around to see their fleeing figures in the distance,

"Get the car, Number III. We're going on a hunt."

The light-haired man nodded; hurrying across the street,

"Yes, sir."

~ø~

Merrick grunted as he ran; pushing past fellow pedestrians as he tore down the street. He cursed softly; a bead of sweat trailing down his face. He knew he should never have agreed to work for her. He had known the pain it would cause, and not just for her, but for the both of them. He had grown too close to her...but what right had he? What right did he have to be close to anyone after what he had done? He was a cursed and damned man...and instead of reminding himself of that, he had jumped head first into this friendship. A friendship with her. A friendship with Eve. And it was a friendship that he had found himself quite attached to.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he raced forward, leaping clear over a six-foot wire fence and into a Fector National Park. Stopping a moment, he leaned up against a nearby tree to catch his breath. Two months. He had known her for only two months. Two months wasn't long enough to grow attached to someone...so then, why? Why did this hurt so much?"

His eye widened and he spun around; yelping as a pair of blades sunk into his shoulders. He fell back; Eve dragging him along as she sailed forward. He looked up at her gorgeous wings through a squinted eye; his teeth grit tightly together. As she finally came to a stop, he grunted; the girl landing on his chest. Transforming her arm into a long, deadly blade, she brought it near to his face; eyes narrowed,

"Where is he?"

He shook his head, gazing up at her sorrowfully,

"Don't do this."

"Where is Sven?"

He silenced, his heart breaking as she sucked in a wavering breath. Hot tears fell from her eyes; landing on his cheek as she grabbed him by the throat,

"Where....?!"

His response was a calm one,

"I don't know."

"You're lying!"

"In these past two months we've been together, haven't you learned anything about me at all!?"

He screamed, startling her. His eye narrowed, and his voice crackled as he continued,

"I would never hurt you, Eve. Not on purpose."

She paused a moment; her eyes searching his face. Despite having a blade stuck deep in his shoulder, the boy seemed to be surprisingly calm. His eye, however, told a much different story. 'Merrick' was anything _but _calm. In his eye, she could see sadness, pain, and concern reflected, but moreso...

He gazed up at her with that lonely sapphire eye; the girl swallowing hard. This look he was giving her was one she'd flashed once before...when she had followed Torneo Rudman's order and gutted Sven. Gutted Sven. The image of Train holding Sven's blood-soaked fedora ran through her mind and she bit her lip.

_'"We took the liberty of searching your room_. _This was in his things..."'_

The beaten wallet in the boy's things. Merrick Satcher's death certificate. The guilty look in his eye. Had he done this? Was he really capable?

She had to know.

"Two months ago in Vista," she began; looking him square in the eye,

"You told me you found me sleeping in the park. My last memory before waking up in the room...was of a beach."

His eye widened.

"And those thugs you said attacked you. They were sweepers, weren't they?"

The boy turned his head away; remaining silent.

Her heart lurched. It was true, then...at least that part. Biting her lip, she forced herself to speak;

"And the other night? Were those sweepers too?"

She watched silently as he shifted beneath her; unable to look at her. He sighed deeply,

"Yes."

She tensed; trying her hardest to swallow the lump that had developed in her throat. It was growing harder and harder to keep her thoughts straight; what with every cold answer he gave. But she couldn't stop now...she had to know the truth.

"Your name, then....it isn't really Merrick Satcher, is it?"

He was silent for a moment. Then, taking a deep breath, he turned his gaze to her; his sapphire eye gleaming sadly,

"No."

**"My name isn't Merrick Satcher."**

~ø~

He let out a yelp as he slipped, falling fast to the floor. He couldn't stand this. He had never been so weak as to not be able to catch himself. Cursing, he pushed himself back up, shaking as he stood. His vision swirled. That was never a good sign. Turning the corner, he sighed in relief, spotting a door at the end of the hall,

_'There it is...'_

~ø~

"What did Woodney have to say?"

Train raised an eyebrow as he glanced over at the _naturally_ lavender-haired woman,

"What?"

"Well, he _is_ one of your contacts, isn't he? Has he found anything on Sven?"

The chestnut-haired man sighed, leaning back on the bench as he looked toward the sky,

"Not much. All the leads he gets have either been false or just lead me to a dead end."

Rinslet sighed, lowering her head,

"That's a shame...hey, Train? What if I asked some of my contacts to look?"

The man straightened, staring at her in disbelief,

"You would do that?"

"Of course I would! Sven's my friend, too, you know...and besides, who knows when I'm going to need a favour from you again."

He groaned, slouching a little,

"I knew that had something to do with it..."

"But really, Train..."

She sighed deeply, lowering her head,

"I want him to be okay...just as much as you do."

"Thanks, Rins...that really means a lot to me."

After a few moments of silence, he stood, stretching,

"Well, it's been fun... but I really should get back to work."

"Searching for Eve and Sven, you mean?"

He turned to her, smiling,

"Well, yeah. What else would I be doing?"

~ø~

He threw open the door and staggered inside, stumbling over to a large desk by the window. Stepping around it, he frantically threw open the drawers, some of them coming completely out of the desk. They hit the floor with a loud clatter, and he cursed, scrambling faster. Someone was bound to have heard that. Pulling open the second drawer on the left, he breathed a sigh of relief. Reaching in, he grabbed the object, flipping it open quickly. The charm thumped against his knuckles as he thumbed through the different options,

_'Where is it??'_

He passed through many screens, so many his head spun...though that could've been because he was dizzy. Shaking his head, his heart leaped as he came upon his contact list, selecting the first number he saw,

_'There!'_

~ø~

Train jumped as his phone began to ring, and he blinked, pulling it out of his coat pocket. Rinslet blinked as she stood, stepping up beside him,

"Who is it, Train?"

The man raised an eyebrow, shrugging slightly,

"Dunno. It says it's out of area. Maybe it's Woodney..."

"Did you check the number?"

"Not yet...hold on."

He flipped open the phone, his eyes widening as another screen came up. Noticing the change in his posture, the lavender-haired woman raised an eyebrow,

"Train? You okay?"

Train stared at it blankly. It couldn't be...could it? The single green dot pulsed evenly against the black grid. Putting the phone to his ear, he swallowed hard,

"Hello?"

There was a moment of silence, then a familiar voice rasped through the line,

**"....Train?"**

-.ð.-

_"__**Are you there?"**_


	16. XIV

**XIV**

Putting the phone to his ear, he swallowed hard,

"Hello?"

There was a moment of silence, then a familiar voice rasped through the line,

**"....Train?"**

The chestnut-haired man choked, his breath caught in his throat. Was this real? Was this really....?

**"Are you there? Train...?"**

"S-Sven...? Is it...is it you?"

Rinslet's eyes widened, and she placed a hand on her heart. Train swallowed again, smiling at the reply,

**"Don't be a dumbass....Of course it's me...."**

~ø~

**"Where are the hell are you!?"**

Sven grunted as he propped himself up on the desk, trying not to fall. Being weak absolutely sucked.

~ø~

**"I'm...in th...Ch.....os....building."**

Train grit his teeth, cursing softly to himself. He had always hated this phone plan. The lines were never clear enough,

"What? You're breaking up, Sven. I can't hear you."

**"Wh...re's Eve...?"**

Train straightened, shaking his head as he glanced around,

"I...I actually don't know. I'm still looking for her."

**"What d...you mean...'ill looking for her'? Where did she go?"**

"She...she was kinda....well...."

~ø~

"Kidnapped!? Kidnapped, Train!? Oh great, just great! I leave you alone for two seconds and this is what happens--!?"

**"Two seconds? Sven...it's been four years."**

The green-haired man stopped short, his eyes widening,

"What...?"

**"You've been missing for four years, Sven. Didn't you know that?"**

~ø~

**".....how?"**

The chestnut-haired man could hear the hurt and confusion in his friend's voice and he sighed deeply, shaking his head,

"I don't know. You went out to get cigarettes...and then you never came back. Princess was devastated."

~ø~

**"I looked everywhere for you. The GPS didn't give off any signal... you just vanished."**

Sven leaned back against the desk, taking deep breaths. Four years? Had it really been that long? The last thing he remembered was...

--_Four Years Ago--_

_He awoke strapped to an upright table. Frowning, he glanced around, his heart racing,_

_"What the hell...?"_

_"Ah, so you've finally woken up..."_

_He spotted the man who attacked him the alley standing across the room. That man...Jonas Warren._

_"What are you going to do with me?"_

_Warren laughed mockingly,_

_"With you? Nothing much...that eye of yours, however."_

_He grunted as he felt a sharp stinging in the back of his neck... almost as though he were being stabbed. _

_"If you were wondering what that sharp pain just now was, I'll tell you. It was the final sensor needed to connect your eye to my network."_

_"Net...work?"_

_"Yes, don't you catch on fast?"_

_He walked over to the nearby table, picking up a pair of sunglasses,_

_"The sensors enable me to access your Vision Eye via my network of computers. They reside in the room you see behind me. All I have to do is tell my assistants where I'm going and they'll type in the location. The sensors allow me to have complete control over what I wish to see... something that I'm sure took years for you to accomplish."_

_Swallowing hard, he grunted, wincing as the pain grew worse,_

_"What...what are you planning to do...?"_

_The raven-haired man smirked, his eyes glimmering insanely,_

_"Why, isn't it obvious?"_

_A sudden blinding pain surged through him, and he let out a stunted cry, his body going numb. His vision started to blacken, but he hung on long enough to hear Warren's finally statement,_

_"I'm headed to the top, Sven...and you're the one who's going to take me there."_

_----_

And that had been four years ago? It seemed so...so unreal. Four years of constantly utilising the vision eye. He cursed to himself.

**"Sven? Tell me where you are. I'll come get you!"**

He straightened, his eyes widening.

~ø~

**"No, Tr......n. F...rget about me...you have to find Eve!"**

Train straightened, shaking his head furiously,

"What!? Are you crazy!? I can't just forget about you! You're my partner! Now, tell me where you are so I can get you the hell out of there!"

**"Jonas War...en."**

"Jonas Wa...?"

~ø~

**"Sven, stop fooling around and tell me where you are! You're not making any sense--!"**

"Train, listen! I don't want you coming after me, understand!?"

**"But Sven, why--?"**

"BECAUSE EVE'S IN DANGER, _THAT'S_ WHY!!"

~ø~

Train straightened, his eyes widening as the man continued,

"**Warren is af...er her. If he gets to ...er, I don't know wha...h...'ll do. You ...ave t... f...nd ....er b...fo...e he does, Tr...n. If you don't...."**

There was a sudden click. Then silence. Train frowned, taking a deep breath,

"Sven? Sven!? Are you there?"

~ø~

"Train? Train, can you hear me? Train!?"

His eyes widened as the phone exploded in his hand, and he fell backward, landing hard on his rear. His eyes narrowed,

"What the...?"

"Looks like someone's been naughty."

He turned his gaze to see a figure in the doorway, and he swallowed hard, tensing. It was Number X, Lin Xiao Li. The man was scowling deeply,

"You know why I had to do that...don't you?"

The lime-haired man gritted his teeth, cursing softly to himself as Li closed in on him. Glaring down at him, Li sighed,

"Now...let's get you back to your room."

~ø~

"Sven!? Answer me!!! Sven!?!"

Rinslet straightened as he pulled the phone away from his ear, hearing the dial tone loud and clear. He pressed redial. Again. And again. He pressed it so many times, that eventually she stopped counting. Cursing, he clamped the phone shut, and ground his teeth together angrily. The lavender-haired woman swallowed hard, stepping toward him,

"Train? Are you okay?"

He suddenly took off in the opposite direction, and she frowned, calling after him,

"Train!? Train, where are you going!?"

She took off after him.

~ø~

"My name isn't Merrick Satcher."

Her eyes widened and she shook her head. So, it was all true, then. Everything those men had said. Merrick Satcher...the one that she knew...never existed at all. The real Merrick Satcher had died in a fire two years ago. This one, whoever he was, was just a fugitive. A felon. A TRUE felon. He _had_ stolen all of those groceries... and he _had_ easily hot-wired that bike. Had he convinced her to hire him, just so he could have her as a hostage? No. She had hired him of her own free will. She hired him to help her find Sven! She had! Hadn't she...? And then...there was the matter of Sven's disappearance. Had he really done something with him? He had to have; he had Sven's wallet, after all. But...thinking logically...that wouldn't have been impossible, wouldn't it? He would've only been around Leon's age at the time, and she knew full well that Sven could easily handle a kid like Leon. But what if he wasn't like Leon? What if he was something else? Would Sven have been able to handle him if he were say, a demon?

_'"I'm the demon."'_

She shuddered, remembering how easy it had been for her to take Sven out the first time they had met. Luckily, she hadn't aimed to kill. But what if Merrick had? What if Merrick had.....?

"What are you?"

She whispered, tears streaming down her cheeks. Merrick sighed deeply under her weight, gazing directly into her eyes,

"I'm a demon."

Gasping, she pulled her bladed arm back as if to strike him. As she thrust forward, she gasped, someone grabbing her arm,

"That will be enough, Miss Eve."

Glancing back blankly, Eve spotted Jonas Warren standing behind her. Silently, she let him pull her up, and he took off his coat, draping it around her shoulders,

"There, there..."

Motioning to Lowe, he nodded,

"Cuff him."

The sandy-haired man rushed over to the boy, yanking him up off the ground as he cuffed his hands in front of him.

He then lead the boy to the car, Merrick forcing him to a stop as they reached Eve. Sighing, he whispered in a soft and sorrowful tone,

"I thought you knew me better than this..."

Her reply was quiet, soft, and blank,

"How can I know someone who doesn't exist?"

Sighing, he let Lowe take him to the car with no resistance, the man shoving him in the back seat.

Jonas stepped up beside Eve, rubbing her shoulders comfortingly,

"It will be all right now, Miss Eve. I've got another car on the way. You'll be back with your guardian soon, I assure you."

He smirked, Lowe's car speeding away from the park.

~ø~

Merrick gazed lifelessly out the window as the scenery zoomed by, sighing deeply. So, he was going to jail. How lovely. He was going to be charged with robbery, and taking a hostage...and prosecuted for a murder he didn't even commit. _Great_. He idly wondered what his sentence would be. Life in prison? Two terms? Maybe three? Or maybe he would be given the death penalty? He didn't know. And really, at this point, he no longer cared.

_'"How can I know someone who doesn't exist?"'_

He leaned his head back, staring blankly at the ceiling. As far as he was concerned, he was already dead. And hey, he had the certificate to prove it. He sighed,

_'Now is not the time to be making jokes...'_

But why not? He was going to hell in a hand basket, anyway. Why not lighten the mood a little before he got there?

He frowned as the car came to a halt, glancing around curiously. The car had stopped on a cliffside, obviously having reached a dead end. The boy snorted,

"Take a wrong turn on the way to the police station?"

"Actually, no."

Lowe turned around, Merrick's eye widening as the sandy-haired man aimed a crossbow at him. He smiled, Merrick's face paling visibly,

"Warren's orders. Nighty-night, kiddo."

~ø~

Eve sighed as she sat beside Jonas in the back of their car. How could she have been so stupid? Trusting a boy she had just met to help her find the person she held dearest to her? And it turned out that he had been the one to.....to make him disappear. She sighed again. Sven was still alive, she could feel it. Maybe a little persistent questioning by the IBI would prompt Merrick to talk....if that was even his _real _name. The girl jumped as Jonas suddenly cursed, the car screeching to a halt. They weren't anywhere near the IBI offices...they were out in the wilderness still...on a cliffside. Jonas opened the door to the car and stepped out, motioning to her as she started to climb out as well,

"No, Miss Eve... you stay here. I'll handle this."

She frowned as he shut the door on her, opening it anyway and stepping out. She let out a loud gasp...

~ø~

Head searing with pain, the muddy-haired boy gritted his teeth as he gazed down the crossbow.

"Warren's orders. Nighty-night, kiddo."

The pain grew more intense, and his vision grew distorted. The crossbow trailed as he glanced about the car cabin. Painful flashes of light surged through his brain for what seemed like minutes on end. But that was impossible. He snapped back to reality seconds later, quickly scrunching back in his seat. Kicking the crossbow upward, he raised his hands, Lowe letting loose an arrow that severed the chain in two.

Merrick swiftly kicked the guy in the head, knocking him into the steering wheel. It did not knock him out, but he was stunned a moment or two. Quickly, he unlocked the door and scrambled out of the car. He ran to the cliff's edge, cursing to himself. A few rocks fell over the side, splashing into the raging river below. Taking a deep breath, he straightened, hearing his name being called. It was Eve. He spun around, spotting her by another sleek, black car. And then it happened. He hadn't even seen it coming...

~ø~

Eve gasped as she watched Merrick rush to the cliff, his handcuffs broken. Something wasn't right. Unless he was the Hulk, there was no way he could break those cuffs himself. She watched as Lowe clambered out of his car, crossbow drawn. Jonas motioned him to draw back, and instead pulled a pistol from his coat. She gasped, calling out to him,

"Merrick!"

The boy looked to her, and for a moment, she could've sworn he smiled. And then it rang out. Both of them froze.

A single shot was all it took. The boy gaped down at his chest in shock. The hole in his shirt...there was a hole in his shirt.

Eyes wide, he staggered back, falling off of the cliff that loomed behind him. Eve let out a scream as he fell, running forward,

"No!! Merrick!!"

Jonas quickly grabbed her by the arms, keeping her firmly in place as she squirmed and screamed,

"No!!! Why did you do that!?! Why!!?"

"Miss Eve... Miss Eve, calm down!!"

"No!!"

She jerked away from him, running to the cliffside where Merrick had stood just moments before. The river below was rushing so fast...he'd probably been swept away. It could only mean one thing. Bowing her head, she sat back on her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks. Warren slowly stepped up behind her, kneeling down and placing a hand on her shoulder,

"It had to be done, Miss Eve...I'm sorry."

"But...but why?"

Lowe piped up from behind him, hands in his pockets,

"He was a hardened criminal, Miss. You saw how he held no remorse in the theft of a dead man's identity. Had we let your little journey continue any longer...he might've killed you."

She shook her head, her hair falling around her face,

"He wouldn't have.....he wasn't that kind of person."

"How do you know that for sure," Jonas began, placing an arm around her shoulders,

"You said it yourself...how could you have known him if he didn't exist?"

The girl shook her head as he helped her to her feet, tears in her eyes as he led her to the car,

"But he....but he....."

-.ð.-

_**'...he was my friend.'**_


	17. XV

**XV**

"Train! Train, wait!"

Rinslet hurried after the chestnut-haired man as he stormed down the road, puffing heavily as she finally caught up,

"Are sure you that was him? Are you sure it was really Sven?"

"Of course I'm sure!"

He snapped back, stopping a moment as he turned to her. Shaking his head, he started back down the road, cursing to himself,

"I recognised his voice."

"Well, where is he? What did he say?"

"I'm not sure. The connection wasn't all that great. He was breaking up most of the time."

The woman shook her head, jogging a bit to keep up with him,

"But did he say anything? Anything that really stuck out at all? A name? A location?"

Train nodded, his walk seeming to speed up a bit,

"Yeah...he said something about a Jonas Warren."

The lavender-haired woman frowned, raising an eyebrow as they reached a crosswalk,

"Jonas Warren?"

"Yeah, Rins, can I ask you another favour?"

He turned to her, as they reached the centre, a flood of people walking passed them,

"I need you to look up this Warren guy for me. Tell me anything you find. His age, his location, if he has a family, where he works, I don't care. I want anything you come up with!"

"Why," she shook her head,

"Does he have something to do with Sven's disappearance?"

"Yeah, he has to. Sven said he's cooking up some scheme involving Princess, so I need to find her first and make sure she's all right. What do you say? Can you do that for me?"

The disguised woman nodded, flipping some of her fake curls behind her shoulder,

"Of course I can. Who do you think I am?"

He grinned at that, running off into the crowd. Rinslet scowled, calling after him as he chased off,

"But remember, you BOTH owe me big time after this!!"

She then sighed, turning around again and taking out her phone,

"Maybe Jenos would know something..."

Her fingers hesitated over the keypad, and she let out a growl. Snapping her phone shut, she shoved it back in her purse,

"I doubt that idiot would know _anything_...!"

ø

Jonas jumped a little as his phone began to ring, and he cursed, pulling it out of his pocket. He looked at the number first. It was Xiao Li. Glancing over his shoulder at the young girl in the back seat, he smirked. That girl was too lost in her own sadness to realise anything was going on around her. He flicked open the phone, putting it too his ear,

"Hello?"

**"I've done as you asked, sire. I have taken care of all the paper work concerning Number VII's death."**

"And Number I?"

**"She believes all that the report says. Hazard was killed during a surveillance mission over Palmila City. His helicopter was shot down by rebels crusading for their own cause."**

"Excellent. You've done well."

**"But sir...there was one problem."**

ø

**"Problem?"**

Li nodded, his eyes stern and cold as he watched the young assistant hook Sven back up to the machines,

"Somehow...Mr. Vollfied escaped from his cell. He made it to your offices..."

**"And?"**

He noted how angry Warren was beginning to sound. Perhaps it was not wise to tell him?

ø

**"And he reached his phone, sir. He made contact with Heartnet."**

The raven-haired man took a deep breath, glancing back at Eve again. She stared silently out the window, watching the scenery whiz by. Turning back around, he coughed, clearing his throat,

"Did anything happen?"

**"I'm not sure. I don't think he had the chance to tell him anything."**

ø

**"Good. Make sure it doesn't happen again. I've worked too hard for too long to get to where I am now, Li...and the goal is almost in reach. Just a little longer...and all of Chronos will be mine."**

Li sighed as he heard a dial tone and hung up as well. He watched the lab assistant run a few initial scans, mostly ones concerning Sven's health. He tensed. His vitals were low even after having rested. The raven-haired man clenched his fists. This was not a good sign...not for either one of them.

ø

**Can you help her?**

The voice echoed all around him. It was a deep voice...a man's voice. He'd never heard this voice before.

_'Help who?'_

**Help her.**

He shook his head, frowning.

_'Who? Who are you talking about?'_

**You're the only one who can, now.**

_'Help who!? Who the hell are you talking about!? Who are you?!'_

**Eve. Help Eve.**

-.ð.-

Merrick's eyes fluttered open slowly. The sun was shining above him. Instinctively, he began to cough, and sitting up, he frowned, raising an eyebrow as water dripped from his mouth,

"Wh...Where am I?"

Glancing around, he wiped the water from his lips, and placed a hand on his chest,

"How did I...?"

A blinding flash and he remembered the cliff. Another and he heard the gunshot. Frowning, he glanced down at his shirt. There was a small hole in the centre of it.

Raising an eyebrow, he sat upright, peeking curiously down his top. He breathed an airy laugh. With a trembling hand, he pulled his stainless-steel, wing pendant out of his shirt, smiling as the bullet fell into the dirt beneath him. He raised his head at the sound of crunching grass and spotted someone standing across the river. They were silently staring at him. Straightening, he took a deep breath and stood, looking them over carefully. It was a man. He had lime-green hair and wore a cream-coloured suit. There was an eye patch fixed over his right eye. His visible eye, a reddish-brown one, gazed at him sadly.

The boy's eyes widened. It was _him_. The one Eve had been searching for. Sven. He gasped, calling out to him,

"H-Hey! Your name's Sven, isn't it?"

The man didn't respond. He took a deep breath, inching across the shallow river,

"Eve's been looking for you, you know. She's been worried sick."

He turned away from the boy, walking deeper into the woods. Merrick straightened, calling after him angrily,

"Hey! I'm talking to you!!"

Water splashed up from his feet as he ran, and he cursed, tearing off through the trees after him. Mud piled itself on his tan boots as he went, the man's ghostly image weaving in and out between oaks. He stopped at a clearing, Merrick panting heavily as he caught up,

"Finally! You're pretty fast for an old man...jeez."

The man was silent, his back to the boy. Sighing, he reached a hand out to grab Sven by the shoulder,

"Listen, I'm not here to harm you...or Eve for that matter. I just wanna talk--"

The blaring sound of a horn made the boy jump, and he tripped, falling backward. Wincing, he glanced down the road, narrowing his eyes,

"Jerk! Hey...wait a minute!"

A road. They'd made it to a road. He stood back up, running out onto the asphalt. No cars were coming currently, so it was all right. A wide smile crossed his face, and he glanced to his right, laughing a little,

"Looks like you'll be back with Eve in no...time?"

Merrick frowned. The man was gone. That was when he noticed. In the spot where Sven had been standing...there were no footprints left behind. The boy lowered his head. After a few moments of silence, he started down the road. The sign nearby said it was only a half of a mile to Fector. He hadn't drifted far. If he ran fast enough, maybe he could reach Eve before it was too late...

ø

_"Sven!"_

_--_

_He glanced back at her from the doorway, raising an eyebrow,_

_"Yeah, Eve?"_

_"You promise?"_

_"...promise, what?"_

_"That we'll go to the festival," she began, fists clenched tightly at her sides,_

_"And see the fireworks."_

_Sven could tell that she was trying her best to keep from crying. He smiled, nodding shortly,_

_"I promise."_

_-ø-_

_"What...what is that...? Train...?"_

_Her trembling hands hovered at her mouth as she spotted the bloodied hat. The chestnut-haired man lowered his head,_

_"I..."_

_Tears welled in his eyes._

_"I couldn't find Sven."_

_The tiny girl straightened, shaking her head as she ran past him at full speed. He cursed, chasing after her,_

_"Eve, wait!!"_

_She tore down the street, tears in her eyes. He had just gone to the store...for some cigarettes! Nothing could've happened to him...nothing was supposed to happen to him! She gasped loudly as she ran, trying hard to stifle her sobs. He couldn't be gone. Train just hadn't looked hard enough! Reaching a local convenient store, her heart leaped, and she rushed inside. There was an old woman at the counter. She rushed up to her, slamming both hands down on the desk,_

_"Please!! You have to tell me!! Did someone come in here earlier!? Someone with green hair and a nice suit!?"_

_The old woman shook her head, sighing deeply,_

_"Um...no, miss. I'm sorry. I don't think I've seen anyone with that description."_

_"Did anyone else!? Do you know if anyone else saw him!? Please, I need to know!!"_

_She shook her head,_

_"I just started my shift a few minutes a go... the young girl before me might've known, but she's gone home. I'm sorry."_

_Biting down hard on her lip, the blonde spun around and ran out of the store. She stopped, glancing around a bit. The booming fireworks overhead made it hard for her to concentrate. It lit up the alleyway behind her, and she turned around, straightening as she spotted the caution tape. Like a magnet she was drawn to it, tears freely flowing down her cheeks. Upon reaching the scene, her heart stopped. Blood littered the alleyway. A pack of cigarettes lay crumpled a few feet away from her. Sven's gun lay broken and discarded by the wall. Her breath escaped her. Shaking her head, she backed away from it. It wasn't real. It couldn't be._

_"Princess."_

_She spun around, spotting Train behind her. Letting out a painful cry, she tried to run away again, but he grabbed her, holding her still,_

_"Eve! Eve, stop it!!"_

_"No!! Let me go!! I have to find him!! I have to find Sven!!"_

_She struggled with him for a few moments, soon breaking down into sobs. Falling to her knees, she let out a horrible cry, Train quickly wrapping his arms around her,_

_"SVEN!!"_

_**"We're here, Miss Eve."**_

_--_

The girl jumped as she woke up, the car coming to a stop. Jonas was smiling back at her,

"You must've been quite tired. Being able to sleep after such a traumatic experience and all..."

She straightened, quickly lowering her head,

"Hmm."

The raven-haired man sighed, adjusting his sunglasses,

"I know you're upset about that boy, Miss Eve... but you must understand that I did what was best for all of us. He was a threat to you. He kept you captive against your knowledge, and he showed no remorse in the theft of a dead man's identity. A criminal such as him is not to be kept alive--"

"But...you were wrong, too."

He raised a curious eyebrow at her,

"Oh?"

"Whether he was allowed to live or not...that decision was not yours to make."

His face darkened as she stepped out of the car, and he narrowed his eyes. This girl was proving to be quite a nuisance. But no matter. She would be joining that miserable boy soon enough. He smirked as he climbed out of the car, guiding her with a gentle smile toward the airport,

"Let's hurry now, Miss Eve. We don't want to miss our flight..."

* * *

**A/N:** And there you have it! Another cliffhanger.

Thanks for reading guys! :3


	18. XVI

**XVI**

A well-dressed young man nodded as he answered his cell, sighing deeply,

"Are you sure, Mr. Warren? I've never been all that good at being a bodyguard..."

**"When have you ever had the opportunity, Mr. Lewis?"**

"Uh..."

ø

**"Well, I haven't really."**

Jonas groaned, rubbing his temples sorely,

"I _know_. Now, listen. It is imperative that you keep an eye on the bio weapon at all times. I don't want her wandering off on her own somewhere."

**"Y-You got it Mr. Warren."**

ø

The young red-haired man sighed as he hung up his phone, heading into the men's room,

"Just after I drain the hose."

Little did the man realise, he was being closely followed...

ø

Jonas hung up his phone, heading away from the window and back over to the blonde sitting quietly on a nearby bench,

"Would you like something to read, Miss Eve?"

She jumped, startled. Glancing up at him, she shook her head, wringing her hands in her lap,

"No...no, thank you."

"An associate of mine, Jackson Lewis, will be here shortly. He'll escort you home."

Eve nodded thoughtfully, lowering her head,

"That's nice..."

Smirking, Jonas sat down beside her. In reality, Lewis would be escorting her to a laboratory in Sapidoa. There a team of scientists hand-picked by himself would run a series of tests...and figure out what made her nanomachines different from his own. He glared down at her from the corner of his eye, gritting his teeth.

ø

The red-haired man stepped up to the sink, humming quietly to himself. Taking a deep breath, he stepped up behind him, tapping him on the shoulder. The man turned, eyes wide as he received a fist in the face. He fell to the ground, unconscious. His attacker grinned, kneeling down beside him. He took the coat first, then the shirt and pants. Switching the man's effects with his own, he tossed his clothes aside, taking a look in the mirror. He still looked like himself. Pouting, he took out his lip ring, carefully sliding it into his shirt pocket. Another look in the mirror. Not much of a difference. Tapping a finger to his mouth, he scowled in thought,

_'They'll still know who I am if I go out there like this...'_

Raising an eyebrow, he spotted a hat that had tumbled off of the red-haired man's head. A mischievous grin crossed his lips.

ø

"Mr. Warren!"

Jonas turned to see a young man running toward them, his hair tucked into his hat. He stood, greeting the young man half way,

"Where the hell have you been? You were supposed to be here an hour ago!"

The man sighed, nodding as he cleared his throat,

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I had a date with the john I just couldn't miss. You know when you just get so bound up that you--"

"Spare me the details, Mr. Lewis..._please._"

Jonas shook his head, taking off his glasses to rub his temples. The young man gasped, straightening in surprise. Warren happened to hear this and frowned, raising an eyebrow at him,

"What? What is it?"

"N-Nothing, sir," he shook his head quickly,

"Nothing at all."

"Good," he replaced his glasses, sighing deeply,

"Your plane will be here in an hour. When you get to the building, I want you to tell the bio weapon that her guardians are waiting inside."

Merrick swallowed hard,

_'Bio weapon? What the hell's a bio weapon?'_

He glanced at the blonde sitting just a few feet away,

_'Does he mean Eve? Is that why she can do all that crazy stuff she does?'_

"Will they actually be there, sir?"

Jonas glared at him, groaning in annoyance,

"Of course not, you dolt! We're sending her to a laboratory in Sapidoa! Or have you forgotten that?"

His eyes widened in shock,

_'A laboratory!?'_

"N-No, sir...I haven't forgotten."

"Good. Your plane will be arriving in an hour. Make sure she stays in your sight."

He started to walk away, the young man spinning around to face him,

"If you don't mind me asking, sir, where are you going?"

The raven-haired man groaned, looking to him in disgust,

"I have _other_ business to attend to."

He then turned away, heading on toward another terminal. The young man let out a deep sigh of relief, spinning on his heel to face Eve. He inched slowly closer, taking a deep breath,

"U-Um...Miss Eve, is it?"

The girl looked up at him, and he was startled by how sad she seemed,

"Yes?"

Swallowing hard, he offered her a hand,

"U-Um...our plane has arrived."

She straightened, blinking innocently,

"But, I thought it was supposed to be another hour."

He nodded, tapping at his ear piece,

"Yes, well...the pilot just contacted me. He said the plane's here and we should board. Take off is in a few minutes."

Lowering her head, she nodded, pushing up off of the bench,

"All right..."

He smiled to her as she walked on past him, guiding her through the airport terminal. Glancing about nervously for more of Warren's goons, he ushered her a bit faster, the girl becoming a bit agitated,

"What's the hurry?"

"Um," he laughed, placing a hand behind his neck,

"Well, we uh...we want to get a good seat, don't we?"

"But it's a private plane, isn't it? That's what Mr. Warren, said."

The boy laughed, smacking her on the shoulder,

"You're right. It is a private plane! Silly me, thinking we had to fight for our seats!"

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the red-haired man from the bathroom in the distance. The man noticed them, his voice a shrill shriek,

"THERE HE IS!! THAT'S THE GUY!!"

Swallowing hard, he grabbed Eve by the arm, dragging her down the hall,

"Aw, crap!!"

She let out a cry, nearly tripping as he ran,

"Hey!! What's going on!? What're you doing!?"

He led her in a round-a-bout fashion back to the airport entrance, the girl's heart racing,

"I thought you said we were getting on the plane!?"

"Change of plans!!"

She straightened at how his voice suddenly changed. That's when she noticed the bleached hairs sticking out from under his cap. Her eyes widened,

"Merrick!?"

He glanced back at her, flashing a smile,

"Surprise!"

She was too shocked to respond. He dragged her over to the nearest car in the valet lane, quickly composing himself as he reached the driver's window. Without saying a single word to him, the driver stepped out and handed him the keys. They then grabbed their bags and headed inside. Merrick nodded quickly to Eve as he climbed in, not wasting a minute,

"Get in!"

Reluctantly she did as she was told, the boy quickly taking off as soon as she shut the door. She toppled sideways, practically falling into his lap. Glancing around, he put a hand on her head, his voice stern,

"Stay down!"

This made her scowl. What would people think if they saw her like this?

Merrick caught sight of the red-haired man as he came stumbling out of the airport, grinning as he watched him rant and rave from the rear-view mirror,

"See ya later, sucker..."

He then screeched out of the parking lot, and sped down the highway.

ø

Lewis cursed as he rushed to a pay phone, holding the set of discarded clothes in his hand to cover himself. He frantically dialled in Warren's number, nearly shrieking as the man picked up,

**"Jonas Warren."**

"She's gone, sir! She got away!!"

**"What!?"**

ø

Warren cursed, his fists clenched at his sides,

"You were supposed to be watching her!! How did she get away!!"

**"He took her, sir!! He took the girl and got away!!"**

"Who!?"

**"Some guy!! I'm not sure who!! He beat me and stole my clothes, sir!!"**

"I don't care what he did, Lewis!! Find her and bring her back!!"

Promptly hanging up on the young man, he growled, his teeth grinding together,

"If she gets away...I will have his head on a platter before night fall."

ø

The muddy-haired boy glanced around as they sped down the highway, finally letting Eve up from his lap,

"There...I think it's safe now."

The girl scowled. Turning each of her fingers into a blade, she turned to face him, holding them to his throat,

"Where are you taking me?"

He smirked a little at that,

"Isn't it obvious? I'm taking you as far from those guys as I can."

"Why?"

He could feel the blades gently press against his skin. He prayed that there were no speed bumps on this road,

"Why? How about this? That man _Jonas _was planning to send you to a laboratory in Sapidoa where you'd be poked and prodded at like some science experiment."

Her ruby eyes widened, and she shook her head, her heart beginning to race,

"No...No that's not true. They were taking me back to Annette..."

"Did they ever say _specifically _where they were taking you?"

She straightened.

_'"We'll take you back to your guardian..."'_

_'"You'll be back with your guardian soon enough."'_

"No...they didn't."

"It's because they were _lying_ to you. They never wanted to help you, Eve. They just wanted you so they could use you as a lab rat."

The blonde lowered her head, her body beginning to tremble,

"But..."

She grit her teeth together, keeping the blades at his neck,

"Why...why should I believe you!? They found Sven's wallet in your things when they searched the room! And not to mention you stole a dead man's identity! How do I even know if 'Merrick' is your _real_ name?!"

He sighed deeply, pulling over to the side of the road. He leaned back in the seat, gazing up at the sky through the windshield,

"I took her name when I turned 15."

She glanced over at him, blinking in surprise,

"Her name?"

"My foster mother...Maggie."

He pulled out his own wallet as he continued, handing it over to her,

"I did it because I knew it would make her happy. She'd always wanted a family, but had never found someone who could keep up with her lifestyle... so I knew she'd be overjoyed if I did it."

Opening the wallet, Eve gasped, an official sweeper license staring back at her. His hair had been a lot shorter then, but sure enough, it was the same boy. Shaking her head, she lowered her blades, frowning,

"But I thought you hated sweepers."

Lowering his gaze to the steering wheel, he sighed,

"It's not that...I _hate_ them..."

She frowned, confused. His eye narrowed. He could almost feel the heat of the burning home brushing against his skin.

_'"Merrick...promise me...you'll never use that license again. Sweepers...we're disgusting and ugly. We do things...terrible things. We're violent and we have no remorse for the feelings of others. But you...you aren't like the rest of us. I never want you to become tainted with blood...be it that of an innocent or a criminal. You're a saint compared to the rest of us, sweetheart...and I beg you, please stay that way. Promise me, you won't continue to be a sweeper. Promise me!!"'_

"Merrick? Are you okay?"

The muddy-haired boy shook his head as he snapped back to reality, throwing the hat onto the dashboard,

"What? Oh...y-yeah. I'm fine."

"So...if you're a sweeper... why have you had a hard time finding jobs? You could just go after your own bounties, couldn't you? I mean...you are skilled enough. It says here you have the abilities of a B-class sweeper--"

"Yeah...but I'm really too lazy to ever _use _it. It's just good to have around. You know, in case someone thinks I'm committing identity fraud..."

Eve lowered her head, sighing deeply,

"I...I'm sorry."

The boy glanced down at her, straightening. She trembled slightly, pulling the wallet out of her leg pouch,

"I shouldn't...I shouldn't have mistrusted you. It's just...I wanted so badly to believe...not that it was you, but...that maybe I was just a little closer..."

His eye widened as a tear splashed gently onto her hand, and leaned over a little,

"I just...I just...!"

She gasped softly as the warmth of his finger met her cheek, and she turned to him, blinking at him silently as he wiped away her tears. He smiled warmly,

"I know what it's like...to want something that badly. You feel lost without it...and your heart's so heavy you can hardly take a breath."

His grin widened, and a kind of devilish gleam shown in his eye,

"Don't worry, though. No matter how many times you try to get rid of me, I'll always come crawling back like a cockroach to get my paycheck."

She stared at him silently as he laughed, a bead of sweat trailing down her face,

"You know you had me thinking you were a sweet guy for a moment there...but then you opened your _stupid_ mouth and the illusion shattered."

"H-Hey!!"

The muddy-haired boy growled at her as she began to giggle, his eyebrow twitching violently,

_'Maybe I should tell her the same goes for her in my book?'_

"Hey...Merrick?"

"Yeah, Eve?"

"Does...does this mean my offer still stands with you?"

The boy shot her a smug grin,

"Depends on who your next target is...I need to know my options."

He expected her to come back with something else; some witty comment about how much he irritated her or how annoying he was...but she surprised him. Silently, the girl leaned over and wrapped her arms suddenly around him. He blushed, straightening as he felt her tears soak in to his shirt. She smiled, closing her eyes,

"Thank you..."

Hesitantly, he placed a hand on her back, swallowing hard. He offered a smile, a strange feeling developing within him,

"Y-Your welcome."

He gasped softly as she let go and sat back in her seat. Watching her wipe her eyes for a moment, he frowned. Looking at her, his heart became so heavy that it nearly left him breathless.

Quickly he turned his gaze to the steering wheel, inwardly shaken,

_'What...what in the world...?'_

**What in the world...was that feeling just now?**

ø

Jonas growled as his phone began to ring, and angrily, he pulled it from his pocket,

"What?"

**"I-I'm sorry, sir. Our men finished searching Fector Town. We couldn't find anything."**

Clenching his fist tightly, he clapped his phone shut and tossed it across the room. He then marched down stairs and into the lab, barging into the observation room. He caught sight of Sven, his eyes narrowing,

"You warned her somehow, didn't you? You helped her, you son of a bitch..."

A small smirk crossed the lime-haired man's face. Gritting his teeth tightly together, Jonas turned to the assistant, seething,

"Up the input ratio...100."

The younger man's eyes widened and he shook his head, stuttering,

"Bu-But sir! If I do that, surely his life will be endanger--"

"I don't care! Just do it!!"

He turned his glare back to Sven, his eyes beginning to glow a brilliant red,

"I want to see him suffer."

Reluctantly, the lab assistant did as he was told. He cringed as the lime-haired man cried out in pain and turned his head to Jonas. The man's expression was frightening.

ø

Merrick let out a loud yelp, and clamped a hand to his head. Painfully sucking in air through his teeth, he cursed, Eve leaning over to help him,

"Merrick!? Merrick are you okay?"

After a few minutes, the pain subsided, and he forced a smile, his body shaking as he started the car,

"Y-Yeah...I'm fine."

Shaking it off, he sped fast down the road. It was a sixty mile-per-hour zone...and they were a long way from finding Sven.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry for the wait again, guys! Hopefully I can find a job soon and these long pauses can stop. -.-;

Enjoy the update! ø-dancey-ø


	19. Special Chapter 02: Birthdays

**Special Chapter II: Birthdays**

"So, Eve. When's your birthday?"

Eve raised an eyebrow at the muddy-haired boy, confused,

"Birthday?"

Merrick nodded, shrugging as he shifted in his seat,

"Yeah, you know...the day you were born?"

"Oh."

She turned away from him, her eyes locking on the scenery beyond her window. He raised an eyebrow, glancing up at her from the road,

"'Oh'?"

The girl sighed deeply, her eyebrow's furrowing as she bowed her head in shame,

"I...I don't have one."

_SCREECH._

Her eye's were wide as the car came to a sudden halt, and she glanced over at the boy, her hair frazzled,

"Wh-what--!?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'YOU DON'T HAVE A BIRTHDAY'!?"

He leaned in close to her face, his angry, one-eyed glare very unsettling to her. She blinked quietly,

"Just what I said. I don't have one."

"Of course you have one! Everyone has a birthday! You wouldn't even be here if you didn't!!"

She narrowed her eyes at him, and clamped a hand on her nose,

"I was genetically engineered, _genius_. Babies born in test tubes don't have birthdays. And have a mint or something, your morning breath is terrible."

"Then you just proved my point!"

He pulled away from the confused child and sat back in his seat, crossing his arms,

"A birthday is the day you were born. You may have been 'genetically engineered', but you were still _born_ in a test tube. Therefore, you have a birthday."

The girl straightened and put a finger to her lips in thought,

"I...I never thought of it that way..."

"_Obviously._"

He yawned, stretching his arms out above his head,

"So, now that we've established that you infact _do_ have a birthday, we should probably get down to business."

"Business?"

"Well, yeah," he leaned back, putting his foot up on the dashboard and a hand on her head rest

"It's time for you to pick your birthday! I mean, you can't remember it, right? You're one of the rare few who gets to decide for themselves the day they were born."

She nodded, sighing deeply,

"Decide for myself...okay. How about tomorrow?"

"No!"

She jumped, her eyes wide at his sudden shout,

"But...but I thought you said I could pick for myself--"

"Yeah, but I didn't mean for you to pick tomorrow as your birthday!"

"Why not?"

He blushed, slouching in his seat as he pursed his lips,

"Because...that doesn't give me much time."

"Much time for what?"

Glancing over at her, he sighed deeply. She was genuinely confused. That made him smile,

"All of those books you say you've read and still you know nothing about birthdays?"

"I've never had one. How would I know?"

Now, she seemed sad. Swallowing hard, he slapped both hands on the steering wheel, and took a deep breath,

"Okay. Yes, I want you to pick a day. No, I don't want it to be tomorrow because it doesn't give me much time to get you a present and plan your party."

Her eyes lit up brightly,

"I get...a party?"

He smiled,

"Yeah."

"And...presents?"

"Yep," he began, leaning back again,

"And you even get a cake, complete with candles to wish upon."

She stared at him silently for a moment, then hunched down in her seat,

"This birthday stuff is confusing."

He let out a laugh at that, and started the car again, the car lurching into motion,

"Don't worry. I've had my share of birthdays in the past. I can walk you through it."

"I see."

They were silent for a time, the sun gradually leaving the horizon. Merrick yawned as he turned off of the interstate, Eve frowning,

"I...I can't decide."

"On what, Eve?"

"On my birthday."

She turned her gaze out the window, sighing deeply,

"I...I want Sven to be there. But...but I don't know when we'll find him. I don't even know if we'll find him..."

The boy stared at her silently a moment, lowering his head.

"We'll find him."

She glanced up at him, her eyes glistening brightly in the street lights. He turned to her upon reaching a stop light, offering a confident smile,

"You hired me to help you find him and by God, I will. Don't start doubting me now..."

The blonde smiled in return, wiping away her tears,

"I...I'm not doubting you. Not at all. I just--"

She shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut,

"No. You're right. We will find him. I know it."

Merrick smiled painfully as she continued,

"And I won't have my birthday until we do."

Silence again reigned in the car, neither of them speaking again until they'd reached a motel.

"Say, Merrick..."

He slammed the car door shut, and slung his bag over his shoulder,

"Yeah, Eve?"

"When's _your _birthday?"

He grinned, as they both headed toward the building,

"March 10. Why?"

She smiled brightly to him, her bangs fluttering softly in the breeze,

"Good. Now, I know when to throw your party."

They started inside, Eve turning to him at the doorway,

"You said I get to make a wish on candles...didn't you?"

The boy laughed softly,

"Yeah, you get a wish."

"What kind of wish?"

He paused, thinking carefully for a moment,

"Well, I suppose you could wish for just about anything you want."

"So...finding Sven. I could wish for that?"

"I suppose you could."

She nodded, bowing her head,

"I see..."

_SILENCE._

"Um...Merrick?"

"Yeah, Eve?"

"On your birthday...what are you going to wish for?"

The boy smiled warmly as he gazed at her silently.

-.ð.-

_**Anything that will bring back your beautiful smile.**_


	20. XVII

**A/N**: W00TZ! Anoth'a chapt'a ahoy! ...;

IGNORE ME! and enjoy. :3

* * *

**XVII**

She couldn't take it anymore. She just couldn't take it. Sauntering into his room, she glared down at his sleeping form. He hadn't even noticed that the pistol beneath his pillow had gone missing. Taking a deep breath, she aimed the barrel at his head, smiling to herself,

"Don't you worry, sugah...this won't hurt a bit."

_**BLAM.**_

ø

"Excuse me. I'm looking for someone. Maybe you could help me?"

The dark-haired girl queried as she stepped up to the counter. The scruffy man behind the bar raised an eyebrow at her, nodding,

"Sure, what's yer question?"

The girl took a wallet from her pocket and pulled a card out of it, handing it to him,

"This man. I was wondering if you'd seen him by any chance?"

The bartender raised an eyebrow at the image of the lime-haired man, shaking his head.

ø

_"Nope, sorry. Ain't seen anybody like that around here."_

She gasped heavily as she ran, a tan cloak covering her face. A bead of sweat ran down her cheek, and she swallowed hard. These people...they were so relentless.

ø

Sighing, the ruby-eyed girl bowed to him,

"Thank you anyway, sir."

She then stepped over to the blonde-haired girl sitting at a nearby table. The girl looked up at her with a smile, her voice sounding quite...odd,

"Did you find anything?"

Scowling, Eve smacked Merrick over the head, and sat down beside him,

"Ow! What was that for?"

"For choosing to dress up like a girl. It's embarrassing just to be seen with you!"

"Hey, it's a disguise, isn't it? And besides, I've always felt that I'd look stunning in a bustier...and man, am I a KNOCK OUT!!"

She growled, promptly smacking the back of his head with a hair-fist. His face flattened against the table, and he let out an angered growl, his nose alarmingly red,

"What the hell--!?"

The door to the bar was thrown open suddenly, and a woman in a tan cloak came running inside. The other customers in the bar stared at her strangely. Gasping for breath, the woman pulled the covering closer and headed to the bar,

"Excuse me...do you have a back door?"

The scruffy man glared at her silently. She flashed him a pair of gorgeous violet eyes. He cracked within seconds,

"Yeah, it's this way."

Smiling a little, she let out a sigh of relief and bowed gratefully,

"Thank you...thank you so much!"

The woman then stepped behind the counter and hurried through the door the man had opened for her, disappearing into the kitchen.

Eve blinked curiously, raising an eyebrow,

"What was that about?"

Merrick straightened, his eye wide,

_'No...it can't be!'_

Pushing away from the table, the boy rushed to the counter and leapt over it. As he landed, he heard a crack and cursed. One of his heels had broken. Kicking the shoes off of his feet, he ran through the door, Eve jumping out of her seat,

"Hey! What's gotten into you!?"

She straightened, feeling the stares of the other customers seeping under her skin. Swallowing hard, she cursed and quickly followed after him.

ø

Merrick burst through the back door quickly, glancing furiously about the alleyway. Where had she gone off to? Taking a deep breath, he tore down the cobblestone path, a bead of sweat trailing down his cheek,

_'It can't be. It just can't be her...!'_

_'"What do you mean you don't have any friends?!"'_

_--_

_The seven-year-old stared blankly up at the strange girl standing before him. Both her fists were set firmly on her hips, and her curly, auburn locks bounced as she screeched,_

_"EVERYONE has friends! Only a loser would say sumthin' like that!"_

_Bowing his head, the boy sighed deeply, his only grey eye gleaming sadly,_

_"Then...I guess I'm a loser."_

_"No, you're not!"_

_He jumped as she squatted down in front of him, taking both of his hands into her own,_

_"Because from this day forward, you're MY friend!"_

_The muddy-haired boy blinked at her quietly. At that, she growled in aggravation,_

_"SAY IT!!"_

_"I-I'm your friend!"_

_At that, she flashed him a cute smile, giggling as she pulled his hands to her chest,_

_"Yay!"_

_He blushed as she kissed his cheek, his face growing hot,_

_"Huh?"_

_The tiny girl stood back up, throwing her hands into the air happily,_

_"Friends!"_

_--_

He cursed as his foot slipped out from under him, nearly tripping as he rounded the corner. She was at the end of the alley, getting ready to step out onto the sidewalk. His heart leapt and he ran faster,

"Blanche...wait!!"

The woman gasped, turning just in time to watch him slip and fall into a puddle of murky water. He gurgled through the mud, gasping for air as he pushed himself up,

"Blanche!!"

She stared silently at him, her hands clasped over her mouth. Her eyes were filled with fear. Gasping for breath, he looked up at her sorrowfully, his mud-ridden wig falling forward off of his head,

"Blanchett Murphy! That's _you_ right!? Blanche!?"

She gasped again, shaking her head,

"N-No..."

He lowered his gaze, staring blankly into the large puddle beneath him,

"No...?"

His heart sank. Why had he been so excited anyway? It wasn't like she would've stuck around in that horrible house just waiting for him to come back. That was two years ago! She'd probably graduated and moved on to live out her life as an actress like she'd always dreamed. She'd always told him that she wanted to be just like Echidna Parass...

"I haven't been Blanchett Murphy since high school."

He gasped, raising up onto his knees. The fear in her eyes had turned to curiosity. They were both silent for a moment, the woman's posture relaxing a little,

"Do I...do I know you?"

Swallowing hard, he opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a shout from behind him,

"Merrick!"

He glanced back to see Eve coming toward him, a deep scowl on her face,

"What's wrong with you!? Why did you run off like that?"

Taking a deep breath, the boy turned back to the woman in front of him. Her eyes were filled with tears. Stepping up to him, she knelt down, sweeping the stringy, mud-caked hair away from his face. He tensed as her fingers ran over the scar covering his eye. She then looked into his good one, her violet eyes quiet and intense...just as he remembered them,

"Merry?"

He shot her a sheepish grin and shrugged. She straightened in shock. Expecting to be slapped, he winced, but was pleasantly surprised to instead find her arms suddenly wrapping themselves around him. Her sobs were loud as she held him, and he sighed, gently returning her embrace. Eve straightened, blinking quietly behind them,

_'Did I miss something?'_

He squeezed her tightly as she continued to cry, the mud caked on his hands smearing on her cloak. Her sniffles and sobs soon began to slow down, and she eased her grip, hiccupping quietly,

"Um...why are you in drag?"

ø

"And that's the whole story?"

Eve nodded shortly. She and Merrick had followed Blanchett to her spacious penthouse-apartment upon her request. Apparently, it had been quite a lonely place to stay in by herself. Letting out a little giggle, the auburn-haired woman turned to the muddy-haired boy, who was standing in the kitchen, and covered her mouth lightly,

"Why aren't you the criminal these days, Merry!"

He scowled, folding his arms angrily,

"Not on purpose!"

"But you stole all those groceries, didn't you? And that bike?"

"...yeah."

She giggled again, turning to Eve with a hushed whisper,

"He always did have sticky fingers, even as a child! Maggie always had to check his pockets before leaving the store just in case he'd slipped something into them when she wasn't looking."

Eve straightened, glancing over at him with a devilish look in her eye,

"Oh, really?"

The boy's eyebrow twitched as Blanchett continued,

"Oh yes! He's been a little klepto ever since I met him! Maggie used to tell me his hands were made out of flypaper--"

"WOULD YOU SHUT UP ABOUT THAT!?"

Groaning, the boy scratched at the back of his muddy neck, sighing deeply,

"So, can I use your shower now or what?"

He caught a brilliant flash out of the corner of his eye and gasped, turning to them quickly,

"What the hell...!?"

He spotted a camera in Eve's hands, and his jaw dropped,

"Are you taking pictures of me!?"

"Yes."

"Wh-Why!? What for?!"

"Blackmail."

He could swear he felt the ground he stood on cracking beneath him. Blanchett giggled as the girl snapped another picture, and motioned to her happily,

"Ooh! Take a few for me, too!"

And the world around him shattered. He face-planted the floor, a pathetic whimper escaping his lips.

As the flood of flash photography came to a stop, the curly-haired woman stood, smiling at him sweetly,

"Of course you can use my shower now, Merry! I'll grab you some new clothes too, so you don't have to get back into those filthy ones you've got on."

"Really? Thanks, Blanche--!"

"Now tell me, what cup size are you?"

He straightened, raising an eyebrow at her as she disappeared into the other room,

"Cup size?"

"Yeah!"

She stepped back out into the living room, holding a bra in each hand,

"I figured since you're embracing a new lifestyle, I'd give you a new set of bras and panties to wear. Now what size are you? B or C cup?"

He let out a groan, a dark aura hovering above his head,

"_Neither._"

"Oh, so you're an A, then? Well, I guess you would be since you don't have big titties--"

"SHUT UP! I DON'T WANT TO WEAR A BRA!!"

"Oh, why didn't you say so? You don't have to get mad! The corsets I have won't fit you, though. We'll have to go to the store for that--"

"JUST GET ME SOME MEN'S CLOTHES!!"

Eve giggled as they continued to argue back and forth. The way they were acting reminded her of a married couple. She gasped at the thought, glancing between the two of them. She unconsciously tensed,

_'A married couple...?'_

"Well, if you wanted men's clothes you should have just said so before."

"What, you actually thought I _wanted_ to become a drag queen!?"

"I don't know! You always used to joke about wearing ladies clothes to the mall!"

"But I was just _joking_. I wasn't serious about it!"

Blanchett scowled, letting out a deep sigh as she stepped back into her room,

"I swear, you're just all sorts of confusing me today! First, you come back from the dead dressed like a trollop, and now you're saying you're not a drag queen, but you used to want to be one."

"But I _don't_. I never said I _wanted _to be a drag queen, I just said it'd be fun to go to the mall dressed as a girl and see how many guys tried to touch my ass!"

"That's a weird reason to wanna dress up as a girl. Are you sure you're not--?"

"DO YOU HAVE ANY CLOTHES FOR ME OR NOT!?"

The woman scowled, tossing him a white sweater, a pair of black jeans, and clean boxers,

"Here!"

He caught them, raising an eyebrow, as she continued,

"They used to belong to Lector."

"Lector? Who's he?"

Blanchett froze at his question, bowing her head silently. She then turned from him and walked away, the boy frowning,

"Blanchett?"

He sighed as she disappeared into the other room, scratching his head curiously,

"I wonder what that was all about..."

Eve scowled.

ø

"Hey, excuse me!"

The two teens, a raven-haired boy in a blue-plaid shirt and khakis, and a red-haired girl in a white sundress, turned to him, the boy raising an eyebrow,

"Yeah?"

Train offered them a smile, and took out his wallet, holding up a pair of pictures,

"I was just wondering if either of you happen to recognise these two? Have you seen them lately?"

The boy shook his head with a sigh,

"No, sorry. I haven't."

"I have!"

The girl piped up, stepping closer to the pictures. She pointed to one of them,

"That girl. I saw her a few days ago!"

The chestnut-haired man straightened, his heart leaping,

"You did? Really? Was she with anyone?"

She paused a minute, finger to her lip as she nodded,

"A boy with brown hair and a lip ring, I think."

"Did she look okay to you? Like, she hadn't been hurt, I mean?"

She shook her head, the choppy layers of her hair fluttering in the breeze,

"No. She wasn't hurt. The two of them seemed to be celebrating, actually."

"Celebrating?"

"Yeah, like they'd caught a huge fish or something."

Train straightened at that, raising an eyebrow in confusion,

"A huge fish?"

Shaking his head, he sighed, nodding to the couple as he walked away,

"Thank you very much."

He bit his lip then, shoving his wallet back into his pocket,

_'Celebrating, huh? So, he's still letting her do sweeper business.'_

The trees rustled in the winter breeze and he groaned, folding his arms as he came to a stop,

"What kind of captor lets his hostage continue to be a sweeper?"

Calmly, he side-stepped to the right, a strong gush of wind blowing passed him. His eyes narrowed, a cut opening up on his cheek.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

He turned then, a smile crossing his lips as he spotted a young, blue-haired boy standing a few feet behind him,

"Is that anyway to say 'hello', Leon?"

Leon growled, clenching his fists tightly at his sides,

"Why didn't you tell me she was missing!?"

Train smirked at him, shoving his hands into his pockets,

"Why should I have?"

"Because..."

The boy hopped down off of his hover board, marching over to the chestnut-haired man angrily. He stopped inches away from his face,

"Eve is my friend and I care about her."

His eyes narrowed at the former assassin, the wind rustling through his periwinkle hair,

"Tell me everything you know. Where is she?"

Train sighed, his smile fading,

"Now, if I knew _that _I wouldn't be out here searching for her, would I?"


	21. XVIII

**A/N: DUUUUUUUNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH...! I really don't know what to write here anymore...;**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

**XVIII**

He sighed deeply as he turned on the shower, the hot streams of water beating the mud clear off of his body. He dunked his head into the streams, closing his eyes tightly.

_"Say, this is a nice place you got, Blanchett!"_

_"Yeah, a really nice place."_

_"You mean it?"_

_--_

_The curly-haired woman smiled, taking off her cloak as she stepped through the doorway,_

_"Funny you should say that... I was thinking of selling it."_

_"Selling it!?"_

_The boy stepped up beside her, shaking his head,_

_"What for!? This place is enormous! It must've taken a long time for you to save up--"_

_"I inherited it."_

_He raised an eyebrow, frowning in confusion,_

_"Inherited? From who?"_

_She nodded shortly, lowering her head,_

_"My...my husband."_

_His heart stopped,_

_"Y-Your husband?"_

_--_

He sighed deeply,

_'She must've been talking about that Lector person. He was her husband? And she said she inherited it from him, so I guess that means...'_

"She's a widow."

Pulling his hair back, he let the water beat him in the face. Three years. He lowered his head, slowly opening his eyes. It really _had _been three years...hadn't it?

ø

"Are you comfortable?"

Eve gasped as she turned around, finding Blanchett in the doorway. She smiled at the woman, sighing deeply,

"Yes. Thank you."

"Don't mention it! Any friend of Merry's is a friend of mine!"

A scowl flashed across the girl's face. Blanchett straightened, raising an eyebrow at her,

"Is something wrong?"

Eve shook her head quickly, waving it off,

"Huh? O-Oh! No. It's nothing, really..."

She then sighed, sitting down on the edge of the bed. The curly-haired woman frowned, stepping over and sitting down beside her,

"You sure?"

_PAUSE._

"How long...?"

She stopped, lowering her hands to her lap. Blanchett raised an eyebrow at her,

"How long, what?"

"How long...have you and Merrick known each other?"

She straightened.

ø

_"Me and Merry?"_

He sighed as he dried his hair, catching himself in the full-length mirror nearby. Straightening, he blinked. He tried flexing his left bicep. Then his right. Then both. The boy sighed, slumping sadly,

"I look like a stick."

_"Why, we've known each other since forever!"_

ø

Eve raised an eyebrow at her,

"Since forever, huh?"

The woman politely nodded. The blonde scowled, a bead of sweat trailing down her face,

_'She does know 'since forever' is an impossible time frame, right?'_

"We met when he moved here with Maggie. He was 7, I think. The cutest little thing. Quiet as a mouse, though..."

She straightened, turning to the red head in surprise,

"Then, you know what happened to him?"

Blanchett blinked, placing both hands in her lap,

"Happened? What do you mean?"

ø

_"There's a scar over his left eye."_

One foot came down. Then the other. Smacking both fists against his chest, he set a deep scowl on his face, glaring in the mirror. After a moment or two, he let out a whimper and rubbed his chest sorely,

"Ow..."

And then the towel around his waist fell to the floor. His eyebrow twitched,

"How embarrassing."

_"I was wondering if you knew anything about it."_

ø

The woman sighed deeply, lowering her head,

"So...he hasn't told you, yet?"

Eve blinked, raising an eyebrow curiously,

"Told me what?"

Blanchett turned her gaze away from her, head bowed,

"His eye...he lost it when he was six."

The ruby-eyed girl straightened, her eyes wide as the woman continued,

"His father came home late one evening. Merry said he could smell the scotch on him before he even came through the door."

ø

_"For no reason at all, that man just started beating the tar out of poor Merry with a broken bottle of booze..." _

He finished tying the towel around his neck and stood up straight, letting out a loud roar of laughter. His laughter slowed as he looked into the mirror, and he slumped over, groaning,

"This is pathetic."

_"And in a long, sweeping movement, he ripped a deep gash in Merry's face. It tore his eye clean out."_

ø

The blonde shook her head in disbelief, her voice laced with concern,

"But what...what about his mother? Where was she? Why wasn't she there to protect him--?"

She stopped herself then, remembering back to when they had first met. The angel tattoo on his back...

"She came running out when she heard Merry screaming. She tried to fight him away, but she couldn't hold him off any more than Merry could. Merry watched him beat her to death."

Eve's eyes widened. He...he had seen it? He had seen his mother...? She lowered her gaze,

"How...how terrible."

"I know. And what's worse is those darned IBI agents haven't even caught the man!"

The blonde straightened, almost shouting as she spoke,

"You mean he's still out there!?"

"He sure is," Blanchett said, her voice softening as she continued,

"He ran off after he did it...left both of them for dead. Merry would've died, too, had it not been for the nice lady they lived next to. She heard all the commotion and came running over fast as she could. Called an ambulance. Saved his life..."

"Who was she?"

The auburn-haired girl shrugged, standing up from the bed then,

"Don't know, really. Merry told me a little bit about her. She had a nice family, he said. Her husband worked for the police or something...and they had a little baby girl that his mother always set him up on play dates with. Someone else would show up, too sometimes. I think he was another cop. Merry said he was a real loner type, but he was nice to talk to..."

Eve sighed, lowering her head sadly,

"A nice family..."

Blanchett blinked, raising an eyebrow as she placed both hands on her hips,

"Are you sure you're all right?"

The blonde nodded, offering her a strained smile,

"Oh, yes! I'm fine."

Sighing, the ruddy-haired woman turned, heading out the door,

"Listen, don't tell Merry I told you any of that...okay? It took him years to tell me anything, and I don't think you're close enough to him yet to know any of it."

She nodded, forcing another smile,

"Oh...of course. I won't say a word."

"Thanks. And listen, you both are welcomed to stay here as long as you need. If you need anything, just tell me, all right?"

"I will. Thank you, Miss Murphy."

"Oh, don't be silly," she offered Eve a warm smile,

"Just call me Blanchett."

The blonde blinked, nodding shortly,

"Right...Blanchett."

The woman then turned and left the room, Eve sighing deeply. Lowering her head, she frowned. Merrick. He was so much stronger than he let on. He'd been forced to watch his own mother die before his eyes. He'd been helpless to fight off his own father, who had killed her. It reminded her of that day, nearly seven years ago, when she and Sven had been attacked by Creed. She'd been forced to stand by while that man hurt Sven; almost killed him. The girl straightened and grabbed the beaten wallet that sat on her bedside table. Holding it close to her heart, she bowed her head, closing her eyes,

_'Sven...'_

ø

Blanchett smiled as she spotted Merrick sitting on the couch and she folded her arms,

"Done already?"

"Of course I am. What're you talking about?"

"Well, don't you usually play naked karate in front of the mirror after you take a shower?"

A cherry-red blush lit up his face, and he coughed, beginning to stammer,

"N-No! What gave you _that_ idea?"

She giggled, sitting down beside him,

"Maggie told me. She said she walked in on you once. You were pretending to be some kind of superhero or something. She said it was adorable when you flexed your little butt muscles."

He scowled, trying his hardest to sink into the sofa,

"Okay, that's great. Can we _stop_ talking, now?"

Groaning, he leaned his head back, sighing deeply,

"Well, it looks like you've done pretty well for yourself. So, did you score that acting scholarship or what?"

"No...I didn't take it."

He straightened, raising an eyebrow at her,

"Wh-What? What do you mean you didn't take it? I thought acting was your dream--!"

"Dreams aren't worth anything if you have no one to share them with."

The auburn-haired girl lowered her head, wringing her hands together in her lap.

"Blanchett?"

A tear splattered onto her hand,

"Why?"

The muddy-haired boy straightened, his body tensing,

"Wh-What's the matter?"

_SLAP._

It was sudden. It was swift. And it stung. A lot.

He ran his fingers across the large, red blotch on his cheek, and looked to her, eyes wide,

"Blanchett--"

"Why didn't you come back!?"

Her eyes were filled with tears. Merrick immediately lowered his head, the girl's voice crackling as she continued,

"You promised...you promised you'd never leave me!! That you'd take me away from this place when we were old enough! That you would get me out of that hell hole of a house and we'd run away!! We were going to start a new life together! Didn't that mean anything to you!? Didn't _I _mean anything to you!?"

She gasped for breath, trying her hardest to keep her tears at a minimum. He kept his eye locked on the coffee table before him. A long silence reigned between them, Blanchett's hiccups becoming louder as time passed.

"I came after you."

He turned to her, his eye gleaming with sadness. Tears rolled freely down her delicate cheeks. Her whole body was shaking,

"After you left...I came after you."

Her shoulders began to shudder violently.

ø

Eve straightened as she began to hear the soft sound of sobbing drifting in from the other room. Frowning, she stood, laying the wallet down on her bed as she went to the door. She pressed her ear against it. The voices were too muffled. She couldn't hear anything. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed the door knob and gently eased it open, peeking out into the next room. Sure enough, the voices had belonged to Merrick and Blanchett. They were sitting on the couch together...

ø

"You...you did?"

She nodded shortly, more tears sprinkling out onto her legs.

"The fire...it was so big. I tried to go in after you, but the police showed up, and I couldn't do anything to save you."

He lowered his head shamefully as her words became more broken and distorted by sobbing,

"Then the house exploded...and...the roof collapsed. I...I...I just knew you weren't..."

Blanchett trailed off, becoming over run with tears. The muddy-haired boy sighed deeply, his face hidden in shadow,

"I'm sorry."

Head bowed, he silently listened to her mournful cries, his heart becoming heavy. Closing his eye, he could see it yet, that burning house she talked about. It was like he was there again, speeding towards it, screaming out her name,

_"MAGGIE!!"_

He shuddered at the memory. Sighing, he turned to the weeping girl, and placed a hand on her shoulder. She gasped, feeling his fingers slide gently under her chin. He lead her to him, tilting her head up slightly, and pressed his lips to hers.

ø

Eve's eyes widened as she watched the boy press his lips against Blanchett's. Pushing the door shut, she straightened, stepping back from it. She stared at it silently, as if waiting for it to do something. It didn't. Sighing deeply, she lowered her head, her bangs shadowing her eyes. Her fists clenched...

ø

He pulled away from her only when she ceased her crying. She hiccupped, a few tears gliding down her cheeks. With a smile, he gently brushed them away, placing his hands on her shoulders,

"You meant the world to me..."

Her wide eyes glistened as he spoke, her heart pounding wildly. He laughed a little,

"Or didn't you know that?"

Swallowing hard, she let out another cry, throwing herself into his chest. She held him tightly, her shoulders shuddering violently,

"I...I love you, Merry..."

His eyes widened...

ø

_"...I always have."_

Eve sat at the base of the door, her legs curled up tightly to her chest. Her forehead rested on her knees. Her face was buried in shadow. From those shadows escaped a single tear,

_'Sven...please. Take me away from this place...'_


	22. XIX

**XIX**

"Okay! What stores would you two like to hit first?"

Blanchett chirped happily, turning back to them as they reached the street corner,

"I know you're both pretty limited on your clothing options, so I thought we could hit a few places and pick you up some new!"

Merrick shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets,

"I dunno. Wherever you wanna go is fine."

The curly-haired woman giggled, waving him off,

"Oh, Merry! You're as indecisive as ever!"

She then turned to the blonde, clasping her hands behind her back as she leaned down a little to look her in the eye,

"Well, then where do _you_ wanna go, Eve?"

"I don't care."

Blanchett straightened as the girl pushed past her, briskly crossing the road,

"Just choose a store and buy something. I don't have time for this."

Blanchett straightened, placing a hand on her heart as the girl stormed away. Merrick scowled, quickly stomping after her,

"Eve! Eve, get back here! Hey, listen to me when I'm talking to you!"

He grabbed hold of her arm, and she whirled around, promptly smacking him across the face. The boy jumped back from her, placing a hand on his cheek,

"What the hell was _that_ for!?"

She glared at him for a moment, then turned away with a 'huff',

"For being annoying."

The girl then marched down the street, leaving both of them clueless. Blanchett stepped up behind him, placing a hand on his arm,

"Are you okay?"

He glanced down at her, then back at Eve's fleeting figure, sighing deeply,

"Yeah...I guess."

The curly-haired woman scowled.

ø

"Is that it?"

Train nodded, leaning back against a nearby tree,

"Yep, that's everything. The last time I saw Little Princess was in Elsida just short of four months ago."

Leon scowled, folding his arms across his chest,

"I see. And that boy; the one who took her...you say he's dangerous?"

"That's what the news broadcast said. He's wanted for fifty grand."

"But you said you met him, right? What kind of impression did he leave?"

The chestnut-haired man sighed, shrugging his shoulders,

"To be honest with you, he hardly looked like a threat..."

He then scowled, his face darkening,

"But then again...a lot of people have underestimated _me _in the past..."

The periwinkle-haired boy gritted his teeth. He quickly hopped onto his board, Train straightening as he readied to fly away,

"H-Hey! What are you doing?"

"I'm gonna go look for Eve. What else would I be doing?"

"But you don't even know where to look..."

He flew a few feet away and stopped, turning back to Train with a dark scowl on his face,

"And neither do you, but does that stop you from looking?! No! If _you_ won't get off your ass and start searching, then _I_ will! Just standing here and asking pointless questions is getting us nowhere!"

Train smirked, shaking his head as the boy started off again,

"You're just the same, aren't you? Stubborn and stupid."

Leon growled as he spun around again, fists clenched at his sides,

"What did you say!?"

"These '_pointless questions_' as you like to call them are what give us clues to Princess' whereabouts."

The boy slowly drifted back over to him, his eyebrow raised curiously,

"What do you mean?"

"I've been asking around. They were here about a week ago."

Leon's eyes widened. Train continued,

"Not so pointless now, are they? Questions."

"Where--?"

"Not sure... my best guess would be Champais Town. It's the closest city around...at 4,456 miles."

The boy scowled, clenching his fists tightly,

"And how long does it take to get there?"

Train smirked, shoving his hands into his pockets,

"Well, that all depends on how fast you're going."

The wind rustled the trees around them. The birds chirped happily. Leon smirked,

"You know...I like the way you think."

ø

"So, Blanchett, what's the deal with you anyway?"

She glanced up at him, raising an eyebrow,

"Deal? What do you mean?"

The muddy-haired boy sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets,

"Well, your get up for one thing. Since when were you into head coverings and sunglasses?"

She lowered her head, scratching her arm absently,

"O-Oh...this?"

"And two..."

He stopped at the corner, turning to her with a sigh,

"You said you married a guy named Lector, right?"

The auburn-haired woman pouted, her sunglasses glinting as she bowed her head,

"Yes."

"Did you love him?"

She silenced for a moment.

"No."

ø

_"My father...if you can remember he was never in the best of health...physically or mentally..."_

Eve scowled as she stormed into the sweeper's bar, heading for the back,

_'I need to find a bounty. A big guy. Someone I can pummel good.'_

She reached the bulletin board and placed a finger to her lip,

"Let's see."

_"You mean he was too drunk all the time to give a damn about you, and when he wasn't, he was too busy beating you for no reason..."_

ø

The woman smiled nervously, letting out a timid laugh,

"Um...yeah. Pretty much."

Then sighing, she lowered her head again, closing her eyes,

"Well...on that day...the day of graduation..."

--_Two Years Ago_--

_It was sweltering that day. She smiled to everyone who passed by. So many happy faces. Sighing, she bowed her head. There was a small picture in her hand. A small, crinkled picture of a young boy with short, muddy-hair. Taking a deep breath, she wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled to it, her voice shaking,_

_"Well...it looks like we did it, Merry! We finally made it..."_

_A tear splattered against the worn paper, and she quickly wiped it off, kissing it softly,_

_"If only you were still here...to celebrate it with me."_

_"Blanchett."_

_The girl gasped, quickly stuffing the picture into her top as she wiped her eyes again. She stood, spotting her father coming toward her. Someone was with him. The scruffy man grunted as he reached her, motioning to the man behind him,_

_"This is Lector Garland. You'll be heading home with him."_

_She straightened, frowning as she shook her head,_

_"I...I don't understand."_

_"What? What do you mean you don't understand?"_

_Her father grabbed her by the wrist tugging her forcefully closer. She could smell the whiskey on his breath,_

_"What isn't there to get, you stupid shit? This guy bought you. Full cash up front. You're his property, now--"_

_She pulled away from the man, rubbing her wrist,_

_"Sorry. No one owns me. I'm my own person...I'm no one's property!!"_

_"Aye, is that what that brat taught you?"_

_The scruffy man continued, snorting in disgust,_

_"Figures. Dreamers like him always go belly-up first."_

_The curly-haired girl straightened, her eyes wide as she silenced. He continued,_

_"I've told you a million times you stupid girl...you're nothing. You'll never be** anything**. You're lucky that Mr. Garland here is interested in your well being...'coz if it were up to me..."_

_He took a swig of his whiskey, snorting again,_

_"You'd be out there on the street...with the rest of the trash."_

_**After that...I moved in with Lector. He...he was kind I suppose. He convinced me to marry him; to go into business with him. He told me it would be worth my while.**_

_--_

Merrick frowned as he glanced down at the trembling woman, swallowing hard,

"Was it?"

She shook her head, taking a deep breath,

"No. It was just an excuse he made to get me into bed."

His eyes widened as she started across the road, his body frozen. His chest felt tight. He couldn't breathe.

_'"It was just an excuse he made to get me into bed."'_

_'How...how could this happen? How could I let this...?"_

"Merry? Are you coming?"

The boy jumped, glancing up. She was in the middle of the crosswalk, the passing crowd stepping around them. He offered her a weak smile,

"Y-Yeah...I'll be right there."

She smiled back, her sunglasses glinting brightly as she turned away. His smile fell and he lowered his head, his bangs shadowing his eyes...

ø

_"So, then...the get up? You haven't explained why you're wearing all of this stuff."_

_"Well...it's for the same reason that you and your friend were in disguises when we met yesterday..."_

Eve gasped as she came upon it, quickly tearing it off of the wall. Her hands trembled as she held it, her eyes wide,

"Seven...million?"

_"There is a bounty on my head. Dead or Alive...I'm wanted for 7-million dollars."_

Gritting her teeth, she took it to her heart, and ran back out of the bar, sweat beading down her face.

ø

Merrick jumped back from her, his eyes wide,

"Seven million!?"

Quickly, she clamped a hand over his mouth, finger to her lips,

"Keep your voice down! Do you want to get me killed?"

He gulped harshly, eyebrow trembling,

"Well, what the hell did you do to get a bounty_ that _high?"

"Nothing."

He blinked in confusion, raising an eyebrow,

"Nothing?"

Blanchett shook her head, sighing deeply,

"There was...a maid in the house. Her name was Amy Vincent. She hated me the moment I walked through the door. I heard from some of the other hands that if it weren't for me...she would've been his next bride."

The muddy-haired boy straightened,

_'Amy Vincent...?'_

She lowered her head, her body beginning to shake,

"So, she killed him...out of jealousy. Two weeks ago. She killed Lector and everyone who worked for us."

"How did you get away?"

The woman gasped, a tear splattering on her hand,

"I hid...in the stairwell closet. I locked myself in there, I didn't dare breathe. After a while, she gave up and turned the gun on herself. When I came out...I saw nothing but red."

His eyes were wide. Stifling her sniffles, she hiccupped, wiping her eyes,

"Everyone in town assumes I did it...and it's not surprising. An 80-year-old man with a huge bank account, and several businesses under his belt marries a young girl just barely out of her teens and winds up dead two years later. It's the perfect scenario..."

They both went silent. She gasped, her eyes widening as he suddenly wrapped his arms around her. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks as he whispered softly in her ear,

"I won't let them hurt you, Blanchett. I won't let anyone hurt you ever again...I promise."

She let out a soft sob, burying her face in his chest,

"You...you broke that promise...when you left here before--"

"I know...and I'm sorry."

He pulled her away from him, gazing down at her sternly,

"But I promise you...this time I'm not going anywhere. I'll give my very life if that's what it takes to keep you safe."

She smiled at that, a blush crossing her face.

"Merrick!"

The two of them turned then, and the muddy-haired boy straightened as he spotted the petite blonde rushing toward them,

"Eve? What is it? What's wrong?"

She gasped for breath, her hand morphing into a blade,

"Get away from her, now!! She's a--!"

Her ruby eyes widened as he did exactly the opposite. He stepped between her and the auburn-haired woman, remaining silent. Eve quickly came to a stop, gasping for breath,

"What are you doing?!"

His voice was stern and strong as he spoke,

"I was just about to ask _you_ the same thing."

"Merrick...she's a--"

"A what? A criminal? Is that what you were about to say!?"

She clenched her fists at her sides, raising the poster up so that it met him at eye level,

"Actually, yes! I came here to save you! She's a criminal, Merrick. A murderer wanted for 7-million dollars!"

"To save me? Is that all?"

After a few moments of silence, the boy snatched the paper from her hands and tore it in half. Then grabbing Blanchett by the wrist, he stepped around the blonde, heading on down the street. Eve straightened, spinning on her heel as he passed her,

"Merrick--!?"

"We're leaving. Feel free to join us once you've pulled your head out of your ass."

The girl frowned, watching them walk away in confused silence. She then growled, clenching her fists tightly,

"You're the one who needs to pull his head out of his ass, you jerk."

She then turned in the opposite direction and stormed away. Merrick stopped short as they reached the corner, Blanchett lowering her head,

"You...you didn't have to do that, you know. Start a fight with her, I mean. You could've just--"

"Could've just what? Let her arrest you? Like hell I'd let her do a thing like that..."

The auburn-haired woman sighed as she glanced up at him. She could see it in his eye. It hurt him to be angry with her; to be angry with Eve...

ø

Rinslet scowled, her fingers furiously clacking away at her keyboard. Pulling her lavender hair back into a ponytail, she sighed, frowning,

"This is a lot tougher than I thought..."

She sighed, reaching her hand into a bag of potato chips. She took a chip and ate it. A few more minutes of clacking and she growled, gripping her hair with both hands,

"Why is this so difficult!!"

Sighing, she picked up the cell phone beside her laptop and flipped it open,

"I guess I could call Jenos...the intel at Chronos _is_ pretty good."

She groaned, her eyebrows twitching as she dialled the number and put it to her ear,

_'If that idiot makes even one pass, I'm hanging up on him.'_

_**Brrrrp. Brrrrp. Brrrrp.**_

She groaned again,

_'He'd better pick up his phone or I swear...'_

**"We're sorry. The mobile number you are trying to reach is no longer in service. "**

Rinslet straightened, and pulled the phone away from her ear as it began to beep at her. She stared at it a minute, eyebrow raised in confusion,

"What?"

Dialing again, she frowned, receiving the same message,

**"We're sorry. The mobile number you are trying to reach is no longer in ser--. "**

Sighing deeply, she went to her voice mail, her eyes widening...

"500 MESSAGES!? I'M GONNA _KILL_ HIM!!"

ø

"So, if they're in Champais Town, what are we still doing here?"

Train sighed, placing both hands behind his head,

"The next train to Champais is scheduled for 9 tonight. For now, we can get our tickets and wait at the station."

"We can't just walk?"

"Ha! Trust me, kid. You don't wanna walk 4,000 miles..."

Leon straightened as he spotted a man step out from the alleyway and stopped, as did Train,

"Huh?"

The man wore a dark suit and square sunglasses. His raven hair shined softly in the sunlight. The periwinkle-haired boy raised an eyebrow as he continued to stand there, smirking at them,

"Hey, who are you?"

The man turned to Train, the smirk on his face widening,

"You. You are Number XIII, Train Heartnet, I presume?"

The chestnut-haired man straightened, narrowing his eyes,

"Who wants to know?"

The man chuckled at that.

ø

**"Hey, Rins...it's Jenos. Look, I'm really sorry I hung up on you the other day...and missed our date...and forgot to call you when I got back...and shared a drink with that woman at the bar...and--BEEEEEEP."**

The lavender-haired woman sighed deeply, resting her cheek on her fist,

"Number 367."

**"BEEEEEP. Hey, Tiffany, listen...about our drink at the bar the other day, I--OH CRAP! BEEEEEEEP."**

She growled her eyebrow beginning to twitch,

"_Number 368_."

ø

"I've heard an awful lot about you, Mr. Heartnet. I must say, I am quite the fan..."

"A fan, huh?"

Train smirked, tensing at the man's unnatural disposition,

"Does _my fan_ happen to have a name?"

The man smirked, his steely sapphire eyes glinting behind his sunglasses,

"Oh, I'm sure you've heard of me by now, Mr. Heartnet..."

He raised an eyebrow at the stranger, consciously readying himself to draw Hades,

"Oh yeah? From who?"

The raven-haired man chuckled, his grin widening,

"Why...your partner, of course. _Who else...?_"

Train's heart stopped.

ø

He groaned as he felt electricity surge through his body, his right eye beginning to pulsate. The image he began to see disturbed him. He lifted his head a little, a waterfall of lime-coloured bangs cascading down his face. His skin grew cold and clammy. His body trembled in pain. Gritting his teeth, he clenched his fists tightly, trying his hardest to endure it. He could see what was going to happen...and he could do nothing about it,

"Train...get out of there...now...!"

* * *

**A/N: NINJAAAAAA!! :D  
**


	23. XX

**XX**

Merrick scowled as they walked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

_'"You're the one who needs to pull his head out of his ass, you jerk."'_

He narrowed his eyes,

_'I'm NOT being a jerk. I'm doing what I think...no...what I KNOW is right. Blanchett isn't a criminal. And if you'd heard her story, you'd know that. You're just being a...you're being a....!'_

He sighed deeply, his steps slowing. Blanchett raised an eyebrow as he came to a stop,

"Merry? You okay?"

The boy bowed his head,

"Am I a being jerk, Blanchett?"

The auburn-haired woman snorted, covering her smile with a hand,

"What?"

"It's okay. You can tell me if I am."

She sighed, placing a fingertip to her lip,

"Well, you can be sometimes...especially when you haven't eaten in awhile. You can get pretty nasty."

"Is that so?"

She glanced up at his face. His anger had mellowed. She could see a mild sadness in his eye,

"This is about Eve...isn't it?"

Straightening, he scowled, snorting as he crossed his arms,

"Pah! No! Who said anything about _her_?"

"You're being a jerk."

The boy pouted, a dark aura developing around him. Letting out a little laugh, Blanchett smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder,

"If you're feeling bad about how you yelled at her earlier, then you should just go find her and apologise!"

Glancing back to see her warm smile, he sighed, straightening his posture,

"Whatever. If you think I should apologise to her, than I will. It's not like I really care, anyway..."

He turned away from her, not even noticing the dark scowl that crossed her face. He raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sun, and glanced around curiously,

"So...where do you suspect she ran off to--?"

The boy grunted. Blanchett raised an eyebrow as he began trembling,

"Merry?"

Clamping a hand to his head, he squeezed his eye shut, and leaned up against the nearby wall,

_'No...not another one...not now!'_

The curly-haired woman let out a scream as he suddenly fell to his knees,

"Merry!"

~ø~

"You...You're Jonas Warren, aren't you?"

The man said nothing; his lips curving upward into a sly smile.

Leon jumped, stepping back as Train suddenly whipped Hades out of his jacket,

"What have you done with Sven!?"

Jonas began to chuckle. Train growled at this, and grit his teeth angrily. Hades trembled wildly in his hands,

"TELL ME!!!!"

The raven-haired man remained quiet. At that, Train let out an angered cry and fired a shot directly into Warren's head. A few seconds passed and the chestnut-haired man tensed as he watched the bullet fall to the ground. Jonas opened his eyes slowly; looking to Train with a malicious smirk on his face,

"Did you intend to kill me just then...Black Cat?"

The dent in his head corrected itself. Leon gasped, taking another step back,

"What the--!?"

"Because it will take more than that," Warren began, taking off his glasses. His eyes were shining a brilliant red,

"To get rid of me!"

His arm began to shrivel and contort, Train's eyes widening as it formed a blade. Passers by witnessing this strange event began to scream in panic, running as far from the area as they could. Jonas began to cackle, licking his newly bladed arm,

"Let's have some fun...shall we?"

He charged toward them...

~ø~

Rinslet groaned as the messages continued, sighing in relief as they came toward an end,

"Message 499, finally..."

**"Rinslet, I know you're still angry with me. I just...I'm just calling to tell you that... I...**"

She straightened, gasping softly as the message continued,

"**...I can't tell you how glad I am to have met you. You really **_**do **_**make my life worthwhile.**"

"Jenos..."

"**I can't stay for long...I've got something I need to do. If destiny allows it, we will meet again, I promise. Rinslet Walker, you are a true thief. You've stolen my heart, after all. I just wanted you to know that...BEEEEEEEP**."

The lavender-haired womanraised an eyebrow in confusion,

"Why would he....?"

**"BEEEEEEEP. Rins? Rins, are you there? Listen, I know you're mad at me, but I really need you to pick up if you're there! Chronos is being overrun! Jonas Warren! I've been tailing him for some time, now! He killed Belze, Rins. He killed Belze and he's killed the Elders. He's using some kind of superior Nanotechnology....a lot like that little Eve girl has....but it's different somehow. Excelion had no effect on him! He has Heartnet's friend, Rins. He's been using the vision eye to plan out strategies...and use Chronos for his own personal gain! Rins...Rins! It's important!! Rins! Rins, I'm serious! Please pick up!! Rinslet! BEEEEEEEP. **"

The phone fell from her hand and clattered loudly as it hit the floor...

~ø~

Train cursed as he continued to back step, blocking the man's bladed arm with his gun. Leon gritted his teeth, and sent a strong gust of wind in Warren's direction,

"Leave him alone!"

Train's eyes widened as the man swivelled around, his arm morphing into a shield. The gust hit the shield, instantly dispelling it. Jonas then smirked; a pair of jagged, metal wings erupting from his back. The boy tensed, the wind around him picking up as he readied himself to counter.

A toothy grin crossed Jonas' face as he turned the metallic feathers on his wings into singular blades. Train grit his teeth, letting out a yell as he fired Hades at Jonas' back,

"Run, Leon!!"

The boy didn't budge. The blades shot forth from the wings, speeding toward him. He crossed his hands in front of him, a barrier of wind encircling him. He held strong, the barrier easily deflecting them. Jonas seemed unfazed. He withdrew his bladed wings; Leon smirking,

"Giving up?"

It happened fast. A series of blades shot out from Jonas' extended fingertips, piercing through the weakened barrier and embedding themselves into the boy's arms and legs. Leon's eyes widened as he gazed down at them, his body tense,

_'How...how could he break my--'_

"Never let your guard down."

Train gasped as Jonas suddenly appeared behind the boy, his eyes widening,

"No!"

A quick whack to the back of his neck and Leon fell forward, unconscious. Jonas sighed, shaking his hand out as he stepped past the child,

"Truth be told, Black Cat, I'm not interested in fighting this _boy_..."

The chestnut-haired man cursed, clenching his fist tightly around Hades,

"You bastard....what did you do to him?"

"Nothing really...I only knocked him senseless. He'll reawaken soon enough..."

He grinned, his arm again becoming a blade,

"Now...where were we?"

~ø~

Eve scowled as she stormed down the street, her hands balled up into tight fists,

"Stupid. He is so completely stupid."

"Who's stupid?"

She stopped, glancing behind her. No one was there. Shaking her head, she faced forward again, leaping back as she was met with a face. The face giggled,

"Boy, you sure are jumpy!"

Eve straightened. This girl was very familiar. She giggled as she took a lick from her ice cream cone,

"You're Eve, right? I remember you. When I last saw you, though, you were only about this high."

She motioned to her collarbone. Taking another lick, she sighed, leaning on her hip,

"Say, how's Mister Black been doing lately? I haven't had time to call him. Been too busy with college and stuff..."

The blonde gasped softly as she looked the raven-haired girl over,

"You.... You're Kyoko!"

Kyoko giggled, winking as she smiled,

"Well, yeah! Who else would I be?"

~ø~

Gritting his teeth together, Train leapt upward and darted up the side of the skyscraper beside him. He had to lure Jonas away from Leon. The boy might be killed if they continued their battle down there.

"Going somewhere....Mr. Heartnet?"

Glancing to his left, his eyes widened. Jonas was flying up the building not 5 feet away from him. Grinning, he morphed his arm into a blade and took a slice at the chestnut-haired man...

~ø~

Her whole body trembled. Her eyes were wide. She felt as though she couldn't breathe,

"He....he was trying to...."

She closed her eyes. Then swooping down, Rinslet grabbed her phone and ran out of the room. She hastily dialled his number and placed it to her ear, a single tear sliding down her cheek. Bursting through the front doors of the hotel, she turned left, heading toward the train station. It rang three times, then went to voice mail,

**"You have reached the number of 'Train Heartnet'. Please leave your message after the tone."**

The lavender-haired woman cursed, a bead of sweat trailing down her temple as she ran,

"Dammit, Train... where are you that you can't pick up your phone!?"

~ø~

The chestnut-haired man rushed forward as his feet hit the roof top, cursing as he sensed Jonas gaining on him. He spun around, using Hades to block a few of Jonas' advances. The man smirked, letting out a loud laugh as their weapons clashed,

"Do you really think you can hold me off for long with a puny weapon like that!?"

Train grunted, the blade drawing closer to his face. He narrowed his eyes,

"I can....and I will!"

Throwing Jonas away from him, he aimed Hades and fired off multiple shots. Each one was easily deflected. Jonas laughed again,

"Really, Mr. Heartnet...I thought you would know better by now."

He took a few steps toward him, licking the blood from his bladed arm,

"Seeing as it's no longer made solely of orichalcum...your gun is completely worthless. It won't hold up against me much longer."

"Maybe not," Train narrowed his eyes, wincing slightly as he brought his gun up to eye level. The gashes on his arms and legs were beginning to sting,

"But it'll hold long enough...for me to end this."

He aimed at Jonas,

"Tell me what you did to Sven...and I might go easy on you."

The raven-haired man snorted, a sickening grin crossing his lips...

~ø~

"Train! Train, pick up! It's Rinslet! I have information! It's about Jonas Warren!!"

She pushed her way through the crowded streets of Rubeck. If she was lucky, she'd catch him before he made it to the train station.

~ø~

_**"He's working for Chronos! No...he's the HEAD of Chronos!"**_

__He fired at the man, gritting his teeth as he evaded each bullet,

_'Dammit! How is he moving so fast!? I can hardly see him!! It's almost like he knows when I'm--'_

His eyes widened. It all made sense, now. Jonas Warren. Sven...

"Has it finally sunk in, Mr. Heartnet?"

Train's heart stopped as Jonas disappeared. The man was now behind him.

_**"He killed the Elders with some new type of nanotechnology, and he's been running Chronos from the shadows!"**_

__The chestnut-haired man let out a yelp, and staggered forward, falling to his knees. A long gash spanned the length of his back. He narrowed his eyes, the pain almost too much to bare. Despite this, he pushed himself up, turning to Jonas with a deadly look in his eye. Calmly, he switched Hades to his left hand. Jonas raised an eyebrow,

"Oh?"

"If what you've implied is true...that you're dodging my attacks because you can see them ahead of time...then that could only mean that Sven..."

He bit his lip, his entire body beginning to shake with anger. The raven-haired man remained silent. Train lowered his head. When he raised up again, the look in his eyes had drastically changed,

"I'll have no problem _killing_ you."

A moment or two later, Train disappeared. Jonas straightened, his eyes wide,

"What the--!?"

Train reappeared behind him, and struck him with the butt of Hades. It hit him hard, and he was sent flying across the rooftop. Skidding to a stop, Jonas climbed to his feet, eyes wide,

_'What..? How? How could he be faster than my eye--?'_

He straightened, his eyes narrowing,

"It must be _his_ doing..."

~ø~

His teeth ground painfully together as he fought, his weakened body shaking with the effort. Blocking the vision eye was not easy but he could do it. He had to. He couldn't just let Train be killed...

~ø~

"So, do you like him or something?"

Eve straightened, raising an eyebrow at the 24-year-old,

"Like who?"

"The guy you were mumbling about before,_ duh_! You said he was stupid. Did he dump you or something?"

"Wh-What!? No! It's not...It's nothing like that!!"

She lowered her gaze to the floor, her face turning beet red as she bit her lip. Kyoko frowned, tilting her head to the side silently. Letting out a deep breath, Eve sighed, clenching her fists,

"He...He's just a friend."

"Then, why are you calling him 'stupid'? That's not very nice of you."

The blonde gasped, glancing up at the girl with big eyes. Kyoko raised an eyebrow,

"What? Is there something on my face?"

She shook her head, sighing again as she lowered her gaze,

_'Why...why am I so angry? Blanchett is his friend. Of course he'd want to protect her. He...he loves her.'_

"If I were you, I'd just go find him and make up. You don't seem to be enjoying your time apart from him."

Kyoko giggled as Eve looked up at her, shrugging her shoulders,

"That's just my opinion, anyway! Well, I gotta go. My next class starts in, like, a half an hour, and if I'm late my teacher is _totally_ gonna have a cow."

She nodded shortly,

"Okay."

Turning away, Kyoko jogged down the road, waving behind her,

"It was nice seeing you, again! Tell Mister Black I said 'Hi'!"

~ø~

Train charged at Warren, letting out a fierce cry as he again whacked him with Hades. The impact had been strong, so much so that he had felt the base crack in his grasp. The raven-haired man was sent tumbling back toward the centre of the roof. Pushing himself up from the ground a little; he swallowed hard. Heartnet would surely kill him at this rate. Letting out a low growl, he reached his hand back behind his ear and to the small keypad that he'd had implanted there. After a few moments, he found the right button. He pressed it; the monotone voice of a woman sounding in his head,

_"Input ratio raised to 95 percent."_

He heard a soft whirring at first; then a high-pitched whistle. His eyes widened as a series of images sped through his mind, and he grunted, a bead of sweat trailing down his face. He smirked...

~ø~

He grunted in pain; more electrical surges spiralling through his body. He couldn't hold them back any longer. His eyes shot open, and he let out a cry of pain; blood flying from his lips...

~ø~

Eve sighed, turning back the way she had come from,

_'I guess...I should apologise to him. He's only trying to protect her.'_

_'"Feel free to join us once you've pulled your head out of your ass."'_

She scowled, clenching her fists as she rounded corner,

_'He didn't have to be such a jerk about it, though.'_

The blonde frowned as her gaze fell upon the crowd growing just down the street. Raising an eyebrow, she walked over to them, tapping an older man on the shoulder,

"Excuse me, sir? What's going on?"

He turned to her, a deep frown on his face,

"Someone collapsed."

"Collapsed?"

He nodded shortly,

"A young man around the age of 20, it looks like."

Her eyes widened, and she quickly pushed her way through the crowd, the whispers around her making her heart race,

_"What's wrong with him?"_

_"I don't know. Is he having some kind of heat stroke?"_

_"It's probably drugs. Overdose victims are common around here."_

_"Somebody call an ambulance! He's coughing up blood!"_

Breaking through the crowd, she gasped, her eyes widening. He was lying face down, blood trickling from his lips. Blanchett was nowhere to be seen. He wasn't moving.

"Merrick!"

~ø~

Pushing himself to his feet, Jonas began to cackle. Train clenched his fist around Hades, his body trembling with anger,

"What? You still want more?"

His cackling continued, his eyes concealed in shadows. The chestnut-haired man readied to attack him again, his golden eyes widening as Warren raised his gaze. His eyes were glowing bright red. He then disappeared from view, Train tensing,

"What--!?"

A second later, Jonas reappeared right in front of him...

~ø~

Leon groaned as he opened his eyes, and winced, pushing himself up quickly. The blades in his arms and legs had disintegrated, but the wounds remained. He rose to his feet, glancing around in confusion,

"What the....? Where'd they go?"

Hearing a strange sound coming from above him, he looked up, his eyes widening.

~ø~

Transforming his arm into a blade, Jonas took a swipe at the ex-assassin. As if acting on instinct, Train leapt backward and brought Hades up to block the attack. His heart stopped as Warren's blade cut through his gun like a knife through butter. The pistol burst in his hands. His eyes widened as he turned his gaze to Jonas. The man smirked. A long slash appeared across the chestnut-haired man's chest. Blood spiralled upward as Train sailed through the air, flying over the side of the building...

~ø~

"He's got Sven! Dammit, Train, pick up!!"

Gritting her teeth, Rinslet snapped her phone shut. A bead of sweat trailed down her face,

_'Why the hell isn't he picking up!?'_

Upon glancing up, she raised an eyebrow curiously. A blue-haired boy stood still on the sidewalk ahead of her. She straightened,

_'Wait...isn't that?'_

"Leon?"

He didn't respond to her. She sighed deeply, stepping up beside him,

"Listen, have you seen Train recently? He was headed to the station a few blocks from here--"

"He...He lost."

The lavender-haired woman straightened, turning her gaze toward the sky,

"What? What are you--?"

Her eyes widened.

~ø~

It didn't feel real. Any of it. This falling sensation he was experiencing....the blood he was seeing spiral into the sky away from him. The wind was cold as it whipped around him. He remembered feeling like this before. Once at Lunafort Tower...and again when he fought Creed for the final time. Images of his life flashed before him. People he loved and cared about. He felt his heart lurch. He couldn't leave them yet...not when he still hadn't found...

_'"A gentleman can never be without his cigarettes."'_

_'"Let me go!!! I have to find him!! I have to find Sven!!"'_

_'"EVE IS IN DANGER! Jonas Warren is after her. If he gets to her I don't know what he'll do. You have to find her before he does, Train. If you don't--"'_

He could see Jonas' smirking as he fell away, his eyes beginning to close. He ground his teeth together, trying his hardest to stay conscious,

_'Sven...Princess...'_

His body relaxed and he saw only darkness.

~ø~

His body hung limp. Strands of faded green hair hung before his tired eyes as he bowed his head in silence. He grit his teeth in anguish,

_'Damn you, Train....'_

_**...you idiot.**_


	24. XXI

**XXI**

Rinslet gasped as he fell toward them; Leon hopping onto his hover board,

"No, Train!"

The boy flew upward; his bangs whipping about his face. Reaching out, he managed to catch the man as he fell, and in doing so; fell from the board. Grunting painfully, he quickly latched onto the side of it; the two of them now dangling about 20 feet up. The lavender-haired woman bit her lip, calling up to the boy nervously,

"Don't let go, Leon!"

The board whined as it slowly began to descend, Leon glancing down at Train with a deep frown,

_'How...?'_

ø

_**'How could you lose?'**_

Jonas smirked as he glanced over the side of the building. He watched calmly as the young, periwinkle-haired boy lowered Heartnet to safety. He snorted as both he and the lavender-haired woman with him tried to help the poor man. It would do them no good. XIII was as good as dead. Pulling his sunglasses triumphantly from his coat pocket, he grinned,

_'It's only a matter of time, now...'_

**TH-THUMP.**

The man stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide.

**TH-THUMP.**

Letting out a stifled cry, he fell to his knees, hand clutching his chest. He coughed violently; blood flying from his lips. His arm bubbled as it reverted back to it's original shape.

**"Mr. Warren!? Mr. Warren are you all right!?"**

The man gasped as he clicked his earpiece, his breathing laboured,

"Find...her..."

**"Sir?"**

He coughed again, rolling over onto his back,

"Find...her...the bio weapon..."

His eyes narrowed as he gazed at the darkening sky,

"I need her...I need to know...how..."

-.ð.-

_**"How can she obtain the powers of God...when my body fights so hard to reject them!?"**_

ø

Rinslet hastily ran over to them; helping Leon lay Train out on the pavement. She looked over his wounds; quickly putting pressure on the large gash in his chest. It was horribly deep. Her eyes began to tear up and she shook her head fiercely,

"You idiot...you can't die!!"

ø

_"TRAIN!!"_

Merrick's eye shot open suddenly and he gasped, glancing around. The ceiling above him was white, as was the wall to his right. He glanced to his left, spotting an open door. Making to sit up, he jumped at the sound of a stern voice nearby,

"Don't think about it."

Turning his head a bit more, he spotted Eve sitting in a chair beside him,

"E-Eve, what're you--?"

"I found you lying on the corner of Potter and Brandon. You were unconscious."

His eye widened. He winced as he remembered the pain and placed a hand to his head, Eve continuing,

"You attracted a big crowd."

"I'm sorry."

He sighed, turning his head away. He could see the worry in her eyes. He hated making her worry. Silence reigned between them, the only sound being that of the machines monitoring his heart.

"She abandoned you."

Merrick turned back to her, remaining silent. She continued,

"Your _friend_. She abandoned you."

"I told her to run."

She straightened, noting the angered look on his face,

"What?"

"It would've been bad if someone in that crowd had seen her, especially if there had been a sweeper around. I told her to run so that she wouldn't be caught."

"And she did as you told her to?"

He narrowed his eye at her,

"Well, if you didn't see her there, then I guess that means she did."

"Figures."

"Back off--!!"

"What about _you_? What if a sweeper had caught _you _and turned _you_ in for _your_ bounty?"

She glared at him silently; even as he detached himself from the machines and pushed up from the bed,

"My clothes. Where are they?"

The blonde said nothing as she handed them to him. He snatched them away angrily and headed to the nearby bathroom; slamming the door shut behind him. Eve lowered her head, her hands tightening around her knees,

"So...stupid."

ø

Merrick leaned back against the door; staring at the bundle of clothes in his hands.

_'"And what about you? What if a sweeper had caught you and turned you in for your bounty?"'_

He growled softly, and angrily pulled off his hospital gown,

"What does _she_ know anyway!? It's not like _she'd_ really give a damn if I was caught or not."

He paused as he zipped up his shorts, his head bowed silently.

_'But still...I wonder.'_

ø

_'Would Blanche have stayed...had I told her __**not**__ to go?'_

The auburn-haired woman sat on her couch in complete silence. The lights were off. The curtains were drawn. She swallowed hard, her throat tightening. He was lying there...in all of that blood.

_'"Go...Blanche..."'_

--

_She gasped kneeling down beside him as he lay there, helpless. He was in so much pain,_

_"But...But Merry, I--"_

_"I don't want to see you...get dragged away in cuffs because of me."_

_He coughed again, more blood splattering on the concrete beneath him. She shook her head,_

_"Merry, I can't just leave you here!!"_

_"You don't have a choice! I'll be fine...just go. Before someone sees you!!"_

_"But I can't--"_

_"I SAID, 'GO'!!"_

_His eyes looked so serious. Gasping, she stood up quickly and glanced around; tears streaming down her cheeks as she ran off. She could still hear him coughing as she rounded the corner..._

_--_

Blanchett gasped softly as she pressed her locked hands to her forehead; tears falling from her eyelashes,

"Oh, Merry...please be okay..."

At that exact moment, she heard the door open and stood. She quickly rushed to the mansion's entry hall, her eyes widening as she watched him walk through it. Eve was close behind him. The muddy-haired boy smiled as soon as he saw her, cheerfully waving a hand,

"Hey, there! We're back! Did you miss us?"

She stood there silently for a moment; visibly beginning to shake. Merrick straightened, frowning in concern,

"Are you all right, Blanche?"

Letting out a soft cry, she charged forward; wrapping her arms around him tightly,

"Merrick!"

She openly sobbed onto his chest, her entire body quivering,

"I was so scared! I thought...I thought that I'd lost you--"

"Hey, now...you don't have to get upset. I told you I'd be fine--"

"But how would she know for certain, seeing as how she left you there alone."

The boy growled, turning to Eve with a dark scowl,

"_Eve_--"

"No...she's right."

He glanced down at Blanchett, a look of surprise plastered on his face,

"What...? You can't possibly be agreeing with her! I told you to run, remember--"

"I know...but it was _my_ decision to carry out the action."

She stepped back from him, turning to Eve with a downcast expression,

"I...I shouldn't have run away. I should've stayed there by his side no matter what...but I...but I just couldn't! You must understand, if I'd been caught, then my life would've been over--"

_SLAP._

Merrick's eyes widened as Eve lowered her hand, Blanchett falling to her knees,

"Eve, what the hell are you doing!?"

The blonde glared down at the auburn-haired woman, her fists tightly clenched,

"His life could've been over when you left him there. Did you ever think of that?"

Blanchett raised her head slowly, her violet eyes shimmering with tears. Eve's ruby gaze was cold and angry,

"If you were truly his friend...if you cared about him at all...you wouldn't have left him there, period. Bounty or not. A loved one's well being is more important than anything else in the world."

The muddy-haired boy straightened as he caught sight of the tears in Eve's eyes,

"Eve..."

Without another word, she turned away from them both and stormed into the other room, slamming her door behind her. Swallowing hard, Merrick knelt down beside the woman, sighing deeply,

"Sorry about that. Are you okay--?"

"She was right, you know..."

His eyes widened as she wrapped her arms around him suddenly, pulling him close. Her voice was soft and sad as she whispered in his ear,

"If anything had happened to you..."

ø

_"...I don't know what I would've done."_

She hit the mattress face down, her shoulders shuddering violently. Tears streamed down her cheeks; soaking into the soft, ivory pillow case beneath her. Her blonde hair fell about her face. In her arms, she cradled a tattered, beige fedora; it's navy band browned by blood. She rolled onto her side; her eyes burning as she closed them. Curling up into a ball, she continued to sob softly as she drifted off into a dreamless sleep...

ø

Rolling over in his sleep, Merrick moaned, his body tense.

_"When we're old enough, I'll take you far away from here..."_

_--_

_"How far?"_

_The auburn-haired girl glanced up at him as they walked along the shoreline, her violet eyes sparkling beautifully in the sun. He frowned, shoving his hands into his coat pockets with a shrug,_

_"I dunno. As far as you like I guess."_

_"Some place where there's no Franklin Murphy...?"_

_He grinned as they stopped, turning to face her,_

_"Anywhere you want."_

_Giggling, she pulled his hands from his pockets and held them in her own,_

_"And we can elope and move to the country? Where we can have a house with a white picket fence, and millions and millions of kids running around?!"_

_"Only if you change their diapers."_

_Blanchett scowled, smacking him playfully in the arm,_

_"Jerk!"_

_He laughed as she smacked him again, and he grinned, taking her by the waist. He gazed lovingly into her eyes and sighed deeply,_

_"If that's what you want..."_

_He brushed a few curly strands of hair from her face, and smiled,_

_"Then that's what you'll get."_

_She smiled as he leaned down, their lips gently brushing together. _

_**"If you were truly his friend...if you cared about him at all...you wouldn't have left him there, period. Bounty or not. A loved one's well being is more important than anything else in the world."**_

_As he pulled away, he frowned. Now standing in Blanchett's place was a beautiful blonde-haired girl with shimmering ruby eyes..._

_--_

He gasped as he sat up in bed, his eye wide. Taking a deep breath, he pulled the covers away and stood, staggering across the room to the door. Trudging to the bathroom down the hall, he took another deep breath and splashed his face with cold water. He remembered now why he hated sleeping. Raising his head, he glanced up at his reflection in the mirror. Unconsciously, he lifted a hand and touched his fingertips to his scarred eye; sighing deeply as a slew of haunting memories entered his mind. He remembered a movie he'd once seen about a worn-down military man who could see the precious people, things, and dreams he had lost with his missing eye. The boy sighed. Since they'd come to Champais Town, he'd learned exactly how that must've felt.

Patting his face dry, he exited the bathroom; heading back down the hall to his room. He reached his door and started inside; stopping short as he heard faint sniffling. Frowning, he followed it to a door further down; the door to Eve's room. He carefully turned the knob and pushed it open; wincing as it let out a loud creak. He froze. Upon hearing no movement inside, he let out a sigh of relief and peeked into the room,

"Eve? You okay?"

No response. Swallowing hard, he quietly tip-toed inside; his heart racing as he rounded the bed,

"Are you even awake?"

She wasn't...and he desperately wished to wake her. Tears streamed down her fair cheeks, soaking into the sheets beneath her, and in her arms she cradled a browned, beige hat. His eyes widened,

_'That's...'_

_'"A hat which you happen to carry on your person at all times..."'_

In his mind came the image of the suit-clad man he'd spotted back in the forest; the ghost of the man named Sven. He lowered his head as she let out a soft whimper; his fists clenching tightly. She didn't deserve to be in this kind of pain. No one did. Letting out a deep sigh, he grabbed the covers from the end of the bed and pulled them up over her. She stirred a little, but did not wake up. Instead, she let out another whimper, mumbling in her sleep,

"Sven..."

Sitting down on the edge of the bed, Merrick could feel his heart crumbling. It hurt him beyond words to see her so sad. Sighing, he carefully wiped away the glittering tears on her cheeks. He lowered his head sadly,

"I'm so sorry, Eve."

The boy blushed as he glanced over at her, swallowing hard. The soft lighting in the room gave her the look of an angel. He quickly turned away,

_'I can't...I can't feel this way about her. I just...'_

After a moment of silent contemplation, the boy took a deep breath and stood; shaking his head,

_'I'd only end up hurting her in the end...'_

He stepped away from the bed; his eyes widening as he felt a sudden, yet soft tug. Glancing back, his heart stopped. In her sleep, the girl had reached out and lightly grabbed onto his shirt. He swallowed hard. If she woke up now, it would not be pretty. Luckily, she didn't. Her grip loosened shortly thereafter; fresh tears gliding down her cheeks,

"Sven...don't go."

A large lump developed in his throat and he took in a breath; smiling a little as he sat back down beside the sleeping girl. He ran a hand gently through her soft hair; pulling the longer strands away from her face,

"Don't worry...I'm not going anywhere."

A tiny smile pulled at the corners of her lips and he breathed a sigh of relief. He supposed it wouldn't hurt to stay a while and keep her company. Taking her hand in his, he turned his gaze to the nearby window. He could feel his eyes beginning to water as he set them on the brilliant moon.

**In the morning...she wouldn't remember any of this.**

ø

She found herself growling as she watched him sitting at her bedside; her fists clenched tightly at her sides. Her violet eyes burned with anger. How could he do this to her? Wasn't _she_ supposed to be the love of his life?

_'If that were true...then what's he doin' by __**her**__ side instead'a yers?'_

Her eyes changed then; fast becoming cold, like steel,

"Sugah...you just messed with the wrong widow."

* * *

**A/N: OH SNAP! Blanchett's pissed! Now whut!? lol **

**BTW, Anybody catch the V.A joke? (V.A stands for "Voice Actor", incase anyone needed to know.)**


	25. XXII

**XXII**

Jonas narrowed his eyes as he stormed into the lab; his young assistant jumping in surprise,

"M-Mr. Warren! How nice to see you're--"

He slammed the door to the observation room; the assistant sighing,

"--doing better."

ø

The raven-haired man growled as he sat down at his desk. He glanced up at Sven through the window, snorting shortly,

"All of that effort to stop me and your friend was still defeated..."

The green-haired man did not respond. Shaking his head, he pulled his cell phone from his pocket and searched through his address book. Upon finding the number he was looking for, he pressed dial and placed the phone to his ear. He took another look at Sven; stifling a laugh,

"How pathetic."

It rang a few times; a raspy, male voice answering shortly,

**"Hello?"**

"Has your team found her yet?"

**"Why hello, _Jonas_. It's been a while hasn't it?"**

"Cut the small talk and tell me now. Have you found the bio weapon?"

ø

They laughed; pushing their glasses up as they turned to a nearby monitor,

"Have I found her, you ask?"

On the screen was the image of a sleeping young blonde. They grinned,

"Why, of course..."

ø

Merrick sighed as he sat down on the couch in the living room. It was now four in the morning. It had taken him a lot of strength to pull himself away from Eve. Even if asleep, she didn't need to be alone in the state she was in. She was still sniffling a little when he'd finally left. Leaning back against the soft cushions, he ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes. His heart felt heavy.

_'I can't be feeling like this when she wakes up. If she ever found out I was in her room without her knowing, she'd __**kill**__ me.'_

He sighed deeply, gazing up at the ceiling with his right eye,

"What am I gonna do?"

"Who'ya talkin' to, hun?"

The boy straightened, his eyes widening as he spotted Blanchett across the room,

"B-Blanche...what're you doing up?"

She shrugged, stepping out of the shadows with a grin,

"Couldn't sleep. And 'pparently neith'a could you."

He swallowed hard as she stepped closer. She was wearing a low-cut, burgundy nightie made of silk and lace. It barely passed her upper thighs. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun behind her head. Giggling softly, she sat down on his lap and wrapped her arms around her neck,

"I say we make the most'a this..._sleepless_ night we's havin'."

The muddy-haired boy blushed as she smashed her lips against his; his eyes widening as she pressed him back against the couch. She ran her soft hands slowly up his neck, burying them in his hair. He found himself unable to resist...

ø

Eve groaned as she opened her eyes. Her head was pounding like a war drum. Feeling something wet on her cheek, she frowned, wiping it away. She pulled the covers off and placed Sven's hat into the shoulder bag at the foot of the bed; heading to the door. She hadn't noticed the weird light being emitted from the wallet on her bedside table. Grabbing the knob, she sighed and pushed the door open, heading out into the hall,

_'Maybe there's some aspirin in the medici--'_

Glancing out into the living room to her right, she gasped; stopping in her tracks. She spotted Blanchett on the couch with...

ø

The boy jumped as he felt her hands slide up his shirt and he pushed her away, shaking his head,

"What are you doing?"

She giggled again,

"I told'ya before, silly. I'm just havin' a li'l fun."

He frowned as she leaned in to kiss him again; turning his head away,

"What's gotten into--?"

His eye widened as he spotted her standing in the hall,

"Eve..."

Scowling darkly, Blanchett glanced back at the girl; a vicious glint in her eyes. Eve stood there silently for a moment; coughing shortly as she turned away,

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt anything..."

Merrick tensed as she began to walk away; pushing the auburn-haired woman off of him,

"Eve, wait! This isn't what it looks like!"

He stood, heading toward the hall,

"Eve!"

Taking in a deep breath, Blanchett stood and quickly grabbed a hold of him by the arm. He turned to face her; his eyes widening as he caught sight of the pistol in her hand. Her voice was low and menacing,

"I wouldn't go aft'a her if I was you..._sugah_."

The muddy-haired boy stood completely still, his breath halted in his throat,

"Blanchett...what the hell are you doing?"

She giggled, brushing a few curly strands from her face,

"Well, what's it look like? I'm gonna kill that pretty little girlfriend'a yers..."

She wrapped her arm around his neck, pressing the nozzle to his chest,

"And after that...then I'm gonna kill you."

A sharp pain drove through his head at that moment and he cursed; glancing back as Eve reappeared in the hall,

"Eve, run!!"

The blonde frowned as she turned to him; her eyes widening as she spotted Blanchett's pistol. The woman took aim at her then and fired; Eve diving out of the way as the bullet collided with the wall. Merrick tensed as she hit the ground; his eyes wide,

"Eve!"

Blanchett spun around then; whacking him in the temple with butt of the gun. He let out a yelp as he fell; colliding with the table behind the couch before crashing to the floor. Upon hearing the clatter, Eve pushed herself up; her heart stopping as she spotted his motionless body a few feet away,

"Merrick!"

"You might wanna worry more about yerself right now, hun."

She gasped, turning her attention back to Blanchett. The woman had the pistol aimed directly at her. Quickly, she transformed her arm into a shield; the bullets ricocheting as she fired. They flew everywhere; one grazing the auburn-haired woman's thigh. Her eyes widened in shock as Eve stood and she took a step back,

"What in tarnation--!?"

Eve narrowed her eyes threateningly; her other arm becoming a blade as she charged forward. Blanchett tensed; blocking the girl's blade with the shaft of her pistol. Every shot she fired, however, was easily blocked in turn. The fight went back and forth like this for a few minutes, the ruby-eyed girl frowning as she tried to see over the couch,

_'I'm not close enough yet...I can't tell if he's all right or not!'_

Blanchett smirked then, giggling a little,

"You worryin' over that boy, hun?"

Eve gasped as her shield disappeared, the woman taking the opportunity to fire a bullet into her arm. Letting out a cry, the blonde staggered back, falling down on one knee. She winced, feeling the blood trickle down her arm. At the sound of a loud click, she raised her head to see that Blanchett had the gun aimed at her again. Blanchett grinned, narrowing her eyes menacingly,

"Well, don't worry your pretty li'l head... you'll be joinin' 'im soon enough..."

Clenching her teeth, Eve leapt up and over the woman's head as she fired; wrapping her arm around the woman's neck. Blanchett gagged as her grip grew tight. Eve narrowed her eyes, her entire body shaking,

"Why?"

"Why what...?"

She grit her teeth, lowering her head,

"Why are you doing this!? I thought Merrick was your friend--"

She stopped mid-sentence as Blanchett began to cackle wildly. The auburn-haired woman sighed,

"Sorry...you must be mistakin' me for someone else. This ain't Blanchett Murphy yer talkin' to...the name's Amy Vincent."

The woman promptly elbowed her in the gut and Eve staggered backward; coughing violently.

Blanchett casually cracked her neck as she gazed down at Eve; her smirk ever-widening,

"Y'see...Blanchett decided t'leave town fer a li'l while. She tol' me to take good care of everythang while she was gone and I intend'ta do jus' that...startin' with you."

The blonde raised her head; her body tensing as she stared down the barrel of Blanchett's gun.

ø

_'"You see...Blanchett decided t'leave town fer a li'l while. She tol' me to take good care of everythang while she was gone, and I intend'ta do so...startin' with you."'_

Merrick groaned as he opened his eyes; glancing around slowly. Everything was a blur. Placing a hand to his temple, he winced. There was a fairly decent cut there. He felt dizzy as he pushed himself to his feet, his eyes widening as he spotted Eve. She was lying on the floor in a pool of blood, a bullet hole square between her eyes. Blanchett giggled, aiming the gun his way,

"Now it's yer turn, sugah."

As the gun sounded, he shook his head; his vision righting itself. Eve was still standing. Blanchett hadn't fired the shot. He grunted, calling out to her,

"Blanchett, don't!"

The blonde turned his way; her heart filled with relief,

"Merrick!"

Blanchett scowled, groaning in annoyance,

"Aren't you dead yet--?"

"Amy Vincent...I remember now. That name...you took it from your favourite movie, _True Southern Belle_. Amy Vincent was the name of an aspiring young star...who snapped under the weight of stardom and killed her lecherous manager! It was the role Echidna Parass one her first Ace Award for!!"

The auburn-haired woman began cackling; her scowl turning to a grin,

"Bravo, sugah, bravo! Tell me...when was it that ya figured it out, hmm?"

"It wasn't hard. Blanchett was kinder and more reserved than you. _Refined_. Like a lady."

She giggled again, pressing the gun nozzle to her lips,

"Ya always did know her best, didn't ya..._Merry_? Guess it's t'be expected from the man she loved so much."

He straightened, his eyes widening,

"Loved?"

"What? You tellin' me you didn't know?"

Blanchett giggled at his silence,

"You really _are_ clueless. The poor girl was head over heels fer you and whaddidya do? Y'left her cryin' in the middle of that high school dance and faked yer own death just to get away from her. Not only that, but ya left her in the arms a'that good fer nothin' Garland, who wanted nothin' more than t'use her at his own pleasure. When the poor girl couldn't take it anymore, she asked fer my help and well, I gladly came runnin' to her aid."

Eve straightened,

_'I see...I've read about this kind of thing before. Blanchett must be suffering from some sort of mental disorder...'_

"If you loved me Blanchett...then why didn't you just say so!?"

Merrick shouted, his voice cracking with sadness. She snorted, narrowing her eyes at him,

"Would it have even made a difference?"

He raised his gaze, his eye welling up with tears,

"I loved you, too...but I...I couldn't run the risk. I had to runaway...I didn't want to see you get hurt because of me--"

"Well, a fine job ya did a'that, _partner_."

Clenching his fists tightly, he lowered his head, his entire body shaking,

"Blanchett...if I could...I would take it back. I would take it all back!! I wouldn't have run that night...I would've come back for you--!!"

"What about her?"

She motioned to Eve, her expression darkening,

"If ya took it all back...then you'd'a never met li'l Miss Sweeper over here. Tell me, Merry...could'ya honestly say that ya'd take back that night, knowing that? Knowing you'd never see her bat those pretty li'l eyelashes at ya...that ya'd never hear her beautiful voice again?"

The boy silenced.

Blanchett pouted, placing one hand on her hip,

"Oh, don't tell me you didn't think _she_ figured it all out! Why, poor l'il Blanchett loved you so much that she was willin t'give you up! Unfortunately...I had other plans fer the both of you."

She aimed her pistol at him, Eve tensing. The blonde unconsciously began to wind her hair up into a pair of blades; jumping at the sudden sound of Blanchett's voice,

"Don't even think about it, darlin'. If you so much as look at me wrong, I'll pull this trigger and send yer _boyfriend_ here on to kingdom come."

The muddy-haired boy sighed deeply. He opened his arms to the woman; his voice softening,

"Go ahead."

Eve straightened, her eyes widening in silent shock. Blanchett scoffed, raising an eyebrow at him,

"You plum crazy, ain't ya? D'y'think I'm foolin' around?"

"Not one bit," he began, a confident smile pulling at his lips,

"But I know you, Blanchett. You don't want this."

"I tol' you before, you stupid _shit_," the woman shouted angrily,

"The name's Amy Vincent--!!"

"COWARD!!"

She straightened, her eyes beginning to soften as he continued,

"Where's that little girl who used to beat me up and steal my lunch money? The girl who never backed down from a fight and didn't take shit from anyone? I know that she's still in there somewhere. I know you're still there, Blanchett."

Her shoulders loosened and she lowered the gun to her side. Her expression mellowed. She hiccupped softly, tears streaming down her cheeks,

"M-Merry?"

Eve swallowed hard; glancing back and forth between them. Her heart raced violently,

_'He's got her distracted.'_

She glanced over at the gun; cautiously winding her hair up,

_'If I can just get it away from her...she won't have any leverage--'_

_BANG._

His eyes widened as the bullet embedded itself into his lower abdomen. He tumbled backward, colliding with the cabinet behind him before crashing to the floor. Eve let out a scream as he fell, her heart stopping,

"No!"

A loud cackle rang out, Blanchett covering her mouth,

"What? Y'think I'm _that_ easy!? Don't make me laugh!"

She turned suddenly, slamming the gun into Eve's head. The blonde yelped as she hit the floor, her hair sprawling out around her. It hung down over her shoulders as she pushed herself up, her eyes widening as Blanchett stepped up behind her. Blanchett knelt down, taking a fistful of the girl's hair in her hands,

"And you...you thought ya'd be cute an' try t'take tha gun away from me, di'n't ya? Thought that if ya did that, you could save him?"

She leaned in closer, giggling maniacally,

"Well, guess what? Now he's dead. An' it's all yer fault. Funny how life works, idn't it?"

Shoving the girl, back down, she took a step back and aimed the pistol directly at her,

"Don't worry, tho'. You'll be with 'im ag'in soon enough."

Eve clenched her fists.

ø

Merrick grunted as he pushed himself up, his wound oozing with blood. He clamped a hand over it to stop the bleeding, but it didn't do much. He cursed,

_'Dammit...what do I do!?'_

**The gun.**

His eyes widened. That voice again...it was the voice from the forest. Sven.

_'What gun?'_

**To your left.**

Glancing to his left, he straightened. Sure enough, there lay a pistol about a foot away from him.

_'It must've fallen from the cabinet when I hit it...'_

**Hurry, there's not much time!**

Closing his eyes, he nodded silently, taking the pistol in hand. Using the cabinet to pull himself up, he staggered forward; his heart stopping at what he saw. Blanchett was aiming at Eve again...and she was ready to fire. His heart stopped.

_**BANG.**_

ø

Eve's eyes widened as the woman dropped her gun and watched silently as she watched toppled over. She then turned her shocked gaze to Merrick. His eye was cold and steely. The pistol in his hand was smoking. The bullet had hit with such precision...there was no doubt in her mind that he used to be a sweeper anymore. After a few seconds, he dropped the gun. Eve watched silently as he rounded the couch and stepped toward them. He dropped to his knees beside Blanchett's body, his eyes wide in terror as he gazed at the hole in her temple. His voice was soft and shaken as he spoke,

"What...what have I...?"

Her violet eyes were wide open; staring out into nothingness. Blood soiled the carpet beneath her head. Eve straightened as he began shaking; carefully reaching out and touching his arm,

"Merrick..."

Her touch gave him no comfort.

"What have I...?"

Blanchett was dead...and there was no taking it back.

_'What have I done!?'_

**"BLANCHETT!!"**

**A/N**: HALLOWEEN IS FAST APPROACHING!! WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOO! ;D


	26. XXIII

**A/N: The next few chapters will be dealing a lot with Merrick and his past. Yeah, I know it's boring, but bear with me, plz?**

* * *

**XXIII**

She sighed as she sat at his bedside, her eyes downcast.

_'"No, Train!"'_

It was so very strange to see him lying there...defeated. Hades had been reduced to nothing but a hilt. She lowered her head; her hands wrung together in her lap,

_'You...you idiot...'_

Grinding her teeth together, Rinslet growled softly; a tear rolling down her cheek,

"You're such a fool. A stupid, stupid, fool...!"

~ø~

Leon leaned back against the wall of the hospital; his gaze locked on the sky. It was brilliantly blue without a cloud to mar it and it deeply contrasted the mood in the air. The wounds in his arms and legs stung only a little. They were nothing compared to Train's injuries. He narrowed his eyes,

_'I don't get it...'_

The image of the chestnut-haired man sailing off the side of the building entered his mind and he grit his teeth together,

_'He defeated Creed with no problem...so how...!'_

He remembered lowering him to the ground. He'd been beaten so badly...

_'How could you lose, Black Cat! I don't understand!'_

Angrily, the boy balled his hand into a fist and slammed it back against the wall.

~ø~

He stood in the centre of a dark room. His eyes were having a hard time adjusting to the lack of light and he glanced around furiously; trying his best to see in the darkness,

"Hello? Is anyone here?"

No answer. A cold breeze swept through and he shivered; frowning,

_'Where the hell is this place? And why is it so cold here!'_

He heard a giggle behind him and straightened; still unable to see,

"Eve? That you?"

Another giggle. He shook his head and took a step forward,

"Hello?"

Upon feeling something soft under his boot, he silently glanced down. His eyes widened.

_'"If you loved me Blanchett...then why didn't you say so!"'_

_'"Would it have even made a difference?"'_

_'"The poor girl was head over heels fer you and whaddidya do? Y'left her cryin' in the middle of that high school dance and faked yer own death just to get away from her."'_

Merrick took a few steps back; his eyes widening as he gazed at her lifeless corpse,

_'"Blanchett...if I could...I would take it back. I would take it all back! I wouldn't have run that night...I would've come back for you-!"_

_'"If ya took it all back...then you'd'a never met li'l Miss Sweeper over here. Tell me, Merry...could'ya honestly say that ya'd take back that night, knowing that?"'_

He clamped his hands to his head and fell to his knees. He hadn't meant for any of this to happen. He hadn't meant to kill Blanchett.

_"You really __**are**__ clueless."_

The lights in the room suddenly clicked on and he gasped; his heart stopping. The body lying before him was not that of his childhood friend, but instead a beautiful blonde-haired girl with gorgeous ruby eyes. He straightened; shaking his head,

"No...no! I-I didn't...! It...it wasn't my fault!"

_"Of course it was."_

He spun around, spotting Blanchett standing behind him. Her violet eyes were blank and blood oozed out of the hole in her temple. Her skin was completely ashen. The muddy-haired boy stood; turning to her slowly,

"Blanche..."

The woman stared back at him unforgivingly,

_"Don't you remember, Merry? You're a demon."_

He froze at her words; a heavy weight falling upon his shoulders.

_"Everyone you've ever gotten close to...everyone you've ever loved. They're all dead, thanks to you."_

"Th-That's not true," he stammered; his mind racing,

"I...I never killed anyone!"

_"You killed me."_

He swallowed hard; bowing his head,

"That was an accident. I didn't mean to-"

_"Then, what about Maggie? Wasn't __**that**__ your fault?"_

"I-I-"

_"And all of those people who tried to adopt you. They died as well."_

He silenced.

_"She'll be subjected to the same fate if you stay with her."_

He glanced back at Eve's body; tears welling in his eyes as Blanchett stepped up beside him,

_"You're a curse, after all. A kiss of death for those closest to you."_

Suddenly, the blonde's body began to decompose and Merrick straightened; shaking his head furiously,

"No..."

He watched in horror as he body collapsed on itself; eventually disintegrating completely.

"EVE, NO!"

Merrick shot up in bed; gasping for air. Sweat covered him completely and his body shook violently. Taking a deep breath, he ran a trembling hand through his hair and glanced over at the bed beside his. Eve was sleeping peacefully; Sven's fedora cradled to her heart. Wincing from the wound in his stomach, he laid back in bed and sighed deeply. It had been a week since Blanchett's death. His nightmares were getting worse. He closed his eyes and rested a hand on his forehead. There she was again, that familiar red-head; beckoning him to sleep so that she could drag him back into hell.

He couldn't stand it.

Sitting up again, he clambered out of bed and staggered to the bathroom. Maybe a hot shower would cure him of these horrible visions. Either that or make them worse. After letting the water warm up a minute, he carefully took off his bandages and climbed into the shower; the hot streams stinging his tattooed back.

_'"Blanchett...if I could...I would take it back. I would take it all back! I wouldn't have run that night...I would've come back for you-!"'_

_'"What about her? If ya took it all back...then you'd'a never met li'l Miss Sweeper over here. Tell me, Merry...could'ya honestly say that ya'd take back that night, knowing that? Knowing you'd never see her bat those pretty li'l eyelashes at ya...that ya'd never hear her beautiful voice again?"'_

_'"Everyone you've ever gotten close to...everyone you've ever loved. They're all dead...thanks to you. She'll be subjected to the same fate if you stay with her."' _

_**BANG**__._

Slamming his right hand against the wall, he swallowed hard and covered his eyes with his left. His bangs hung down in sopping strings before his face; blocking his features from view. He grit his teeth; his face contorting in pain. Again he hit the wall, his hand balling into a fist. After a few seconds, he smashed his hand against the wall a third time and slowly fell to his knees. He bit his lip and took a wavering breath. A single tear slid down his cheek...

~ø~

She could hear him sobbing from the other room. Closing her eyes, she tightened her hold on the fedora in her arms. It was so strange to see him like this; to hear him so sad. She could feel her heart breaking with his every cry.

~ø~

"So, where are we headed?"

Merrick sighed as he walked beside the blonde; his hands behind his head. Eve had been awake when he'd come out of the bathroom that morning, and after having a little bit of breakfast, he'd decided to help the girl run a mystery errand.

When she didn't respond, he glanced down and offered her a small smile,

"You gonna tell me where we're going or am I gonna have to guess?"

The girl glanced up at him; swallowing hard. His sadness was plainly etched on his face, no matter how hard he tried to hide it.

Coughing shortly, she nervously began rubbing at her arm,

"I got a call this morning...from the sweeper office."

The boy straightened as she continued,

"They asked us to pick up Blanchett's bounty."

She bit her lip as they reached the office building and looked up at him,

"Merrick, I-"

"Do you think you can pick up the bounty yourself?"

She nodded shortly; straightening as he turned and walked away,

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"I need some air."

"But what about the bounty?"

He stopped after a few steps; not even bothering to look back at her as he answered,

"You keep it. I don't want anything to do with it."

He then continued away from her; Eve sighing deeply as he disappeared into the crowd,

"Merrick..."

~ø~

The muddy-haired boy rested his arms on the stone wall; gazing out at Gilmore Bay in silence.

_'"If you loved me Blanchett, then why didn't you just say so!"'_

_'"Would it have even made a difference?"'_

She had been so angry. The image of her lying on the floor came to his mind; her lifeless eyes staring out into eternity.

The clock tower loomed in the distance; it's recent song marking the time.

_'Two' o'clock...' _

The sound of a dinging bell caught his ears then, and he glanced behind him. It was the trolley. It sped down the hill at about 20 miles an hour; making it's way to the station up the road.

With a sigh, he jogged after it, and as he reached the station, pulled the hood of his shirt up. He'd soon be entering familiar territory and it would be bad if anyone were to recognise those around him board first, he silently stepped onto the vehicle and grabbed the nearest pole.

~ø~

The skies were steadily getting darker as the trolley reached it's destination. Merrick sighed, silently wishing he'd brought an umbrella as he stepped off the contraption and into a down pour. Pulling his hood further over his head, he started down the street at a brisk walk. During his stroll, he caught sight of a few familiar faces in the crowd; faces from his past. One man in particular caught his eye and he raised an eyebrow in surprise.

_'Wow,' _he thought, his eyes following that of a dark-haired police officer,

_'Of all people...I never thought __**he'd**__ become a cop.'_

_'"What? You ain't gonna steal tha' cah?"'_

_The 25-year-old man shoved the muddy-haired boy back against the little blue vehicle; glaring down at him angrily,_

_"Seems' like somebody needs ta teach ya some respect!"_

_He motioned over to the group behind him; smirking,_

_"C'mon, boys! Let's teach this brat a thing or two about obeyin' tha rules!"_

_He hurled the twelve-year-old to the ground and kicked him in the gut; the boy gagging for air. The others soon chimed in; dealing kicks and blows to various sections of the boy's body. The boy closed his eyes tightly; tears threatening to spill forth from them. If they saw him cry, it would only make things worse. A gun shot sounded through the air suddenly and the men began to scatter. His eyes widening, the boy quickly climbed to his feet; spotting someone standing in the doorway of a nearby house. _

_"Who's out there?"_

_They shouted; starting down the front walk. As they reached the light, the boy panicked. He'd only caught a glimpse of their cream-coloured suit before he'd frantically fled down the street._

Merrick snorted as he watched him hurry over to a couple of kids who were playing too close to his motorbike. The officer began scolding them and the kids seemed to be very disconcerted by it.

_'"C'mon, boys! Let's teach this brat a thing or two about obeyin' tha rules!"'_

_'Hopefully, he doesn't decide to beat them like he did me...'_

He quickly turned away as the man turned back in his direction and continued down his path. He idly wondered how much longer it would take for him to run into more people from his past life.

~ø~

Eve sighed as she headed back toward the hotel; a slight frown on her face. She'd taken a couple of hours to explore the town by herself. She'd been hoping to find Merrick during her walk, but he was nowhere to be found. Glancing down at the envelope in her hands, she sighed.

_'"You keep it. I don't want anything to do with it."'_

Her eyes softened as she gazed at it. It wasn't like she had _wanted_ Blanchett to die. A bounty was a bounty and they sure needed the money. Still, she couldn't help but feel guilty for actually accepting it. Blanchett was the victim of a horrible disorder. She'd needed help; not a bullet in her brain! But...Merrick hadn't meant to kill her, either. Something had come over him as well.

_'"If ya took it all back...then you'd'a never met li'l Miss Sweeper over here. Tell me, Merry...could'ya honestly say that ya'd take back that night, knowing that? Knowing you'd never see her bat those pretty li'l eyelashes at ya...that ya'd never hear her beautiful voice again?"'_

The girl stopped in her tracks. What had she meant by all that? And Merrick...it was like he had shot her on pure instinct. Maybe he wasn't the person she thought he was after all. She quickly shook her head. Merrick had been heartbroken after that night. He was still heartbroken, now. It was clear that what had happened with Blanchett had been an accident. Sighing, she walked over to a bench nearby and sat down. The sky churned angrily overhead and rumbling could be heard in the distance. Turning her gaze upward, she frowned,

"A storm's coming..."

~ø~

The down pour only worsened as he walked. He trudged down the busy streets silently; glancing up only briefly as people pushed passed him. Upon seeing a nearby street sign, he turned right and into a residential area. It took him only a few minutes to reach it.

He stopped as he reached the front walk; his heart sinking into his stomach. The corner house, 312 Mayberry Boulevard, was nothing but charred remains...

-_**Three Years Prior**_-

**"The case of a former IBI agent who went missing one year ago came to a startling close today. IBI Inspector William Smith, who was in charge of the investigation, said he was 'reluctant to close the case so early, but with so little to go on, the team had no other choice'. The case closed with no suspects and no leads. Vollfied was 31 years old at the time of his-"**

A sixteen-year-old Merrick sighed as he turned off the TV, shaking his head,

"Geez, the news is so damn depressing these days."

He straightened upon hearing the door click open, glancing behind him with a smile,

"Hey, you're back!"

A little laugh rang out from behind a pair of tall paper bags, and the boy jumped up out of his seat, hurrying over to her,

"Here let me help you."

He grabbed both bags, the little old woman behind them smiling gratefully,

"Thank you, sweetheart."

He took them on into the kitchen as she closed the door, sighing deeply,

"I tell you, those bags just keep getting heavier every time I go shopping."

"Nah, you're just getting weaker."

"Hey! Just because I'm old doesn't mean I can't whip you a good one."

He laughed as she continued to grumble about her age, shaking his head with a sigh,

"Aw, Maggie, you crack me up."

She hobbled into the room, promptly whacking him over the head with her cane. His face hit the counter and he yelped, glaring back at her angrily,

"Ow! What was _that_ for!"

"For calling me weak. You should know better by now."

The elderly woman grabbed a carton of eggs from one of the bags and stepped over to the refrigerator, sighing,

"Anything good on television while I was away?"

"Nah...just the same old stuff."

"I see," she said, grabbing a few more items for the refrigerator,

"Did Blanchett call?"

The boy began to stutter, blushing furiously,

"Wh-What makes you ask?"

Maggie turned to him, smirking wildly,

"She did, didn't she?"

"...yeah so?"

She let out a squeal, and shut the refrigerator door. Taking his hand, she lead him back out to the living room, the two of them sitting down on the couch,

"And what did she call about?"

He began to scratch nervously at his neck, his face burning,

"She asked if I wanted to go to her junior prom..."

"And...?"

The muddy-haired boy glanced over at her from the corner of his eye. She sat there waiting for him to say something, much like an expectant puppy waiting for a treat from its master. He could've sworn she was a giddy teenager and not the 59-year-old sweeper that she actually was. She certainly acted like it. Clearing his throat, Merrick sighed, folding his arms,

"I..."

"Yes?"

He bowed his head, closing his eyes,

"I told her no."

"What!"

He yelped as she whacked him again, rubbing the back of his head sorely,

"OW!"

"How dare you tell that poor girl 'no'. I thought I taught you better than that!"

"But, Maggie...you know I can't go-"

"And just why not?"

The muddy-haired boy paused, sighing deeply after a few moments,

"Because...I-I've got a bad feeling about it."

"About what? What could possibly go wrong at a high school dance?"

"It's not about the dance."

She straightened, raising an eyebrow at him,

"Then what?"

Merrick sighed,

"It's...it's about you. I'm afraid that if I go...something bad is going to happen to you."

Maggie let out a laugh, slapping him on the shoulder,

"Don't be silly, sweetheart! There's no reason for you to worry about me. I can take care of my-"

"The last time you told me not to worry you wound up in the hospital after some perp shot you in the hip...or have you forgotten why you need that cane, now?"

The elderly woman stopped, sighing deeply,

"Merrick...you can't keep blaming yourself for that. It was my fault that I got shot, not yours."

He nodded, pushing himself up off of the couch,

"Yeah...that's what you always say."

She opened her mouth to say something as he headed to the stairs, the shrill ringing of the phone interrupting her. Sighing, she stood and hobbled into the kitchen to answer it as he went up stairs to his bedroom. The woman shook her head, forcing a smile as she answered the phone,

"Satcher residence."

**"Hello, Margaret."**

Her face darkened, and she glanced around the corner. Merrick was nowhere in sight.

"What the hell do _you_ want?"

**"Oh, I believe you know what I want, Margaret. You remember our deal?"**

She ground her teeth together, her grip on the phone tightening,

"You can't honestly expect me to go through with it, now-"

**"I expect you'll do as we agreed to. You know what will happen if you don't."**

"I swear," she began, glancing around to make sure no one was around. Her blood was burning,

"If I so much as see you...if you come anywhere near here...you stay away from my boy, do you hear me? If you come within so much as a mile of him, I swear, I will hunt you down and I WILL kill you."

Slamming the phone down, she took a deep breath. Her entire body shook. With a trembling hand, she covered her mouth, her eyes beginning to glisten as she hobbled back into the living room. With a deep sigh, she trudged upstairs, and started down the hall to her room.

_~ø~_

The muddy-haired boy sighed as he laid back on his bed, hands behind his head. He gazed up at the ceiling blankly, his eyes narrowing,

_'__**"Oh, c'mon, Merry! I already got a dress and everything!"**__'_

_'"Uhh...yeah, about the dance...I can't go, Blanche. I'm sorry-."_

_'__**"What! What do you mean you 'can't go'! I already got tickets for us!"**__'_

_'"I'm really sorry...I just...I can't. Maybe next year?"'_

He sighed deeply, closing his eyes. She'd sounded so upset. Jumping at the sound of a knock at his door, he sat up quickly, forcing a smile,

"Come in!"

Maggie poked her head in, smiling,

"Sweetheart, can I talk to you for a minute?"

The boy nodded, raising an eyebrow as she came into the room with a large, black bag in her hands,

"You need me to help you bury whoever that is in the bag?"

The woman laughed as she sat down beside him, whacking him softly on the back of his head,

"No. Smartass."

Taking a deep breath, she sighed,

"You know...I remember on your very first day of school, you came home in a tizzy about a little girl who told you that you smelled of cat pee and ate glue for breakfast. The two of you clashed quite a bit during the years...and now that girl is asking you to be a part of one of the most important nights of her life..."

Merrick groaned, shaking his head with a sigh,

"Maggie-"

"Let me finish."

She began to unzip the bag, her eyes welling up with tears,

"My husband, Henry, wore this at our wedding. We were married in the summer of '67...he died that winter."

The boy smiled a little, biting his lip,

"You were both sweepers together, weren't you?"

She nodded, pulling the suit out and patting off the dust,

"We were. We started off as business partners...but it turned into so much more than that. He was the toughest sweeper I know...but he was always a perfect gentleman. And he looked so handsome in this suit!"

The woman giggled quietly to her self, a few tears splashing onto the jacket. The boy swallowed hard and put an arm around her silently. Wiping her eyes, she turned to him, smiling,

"I think...you would look wonderful in it..."

Merrick shook his head, sighing deeply,

"Maggie, I couldn't-"

"Now, stop that. The man's been dead for 40 years, he won't mind."

She stood and wiped her eyes, the muddy-haired boy watching her carefully. Turning as she reached the doorway, she smiled again,

"I know how important this night is for you, sweetheart...and I'd hate for you to miss it on my account."

Without another word, she left the room, heading downstairs in silence. Merrick sighed and glanced down at the suit in his arms. Placing it on the bed beside him, he leaned forward, burying his face in his hands...

_~ø~_

Maggie sighed deeply as she gazed at the aged photo, the young brown-haired man in the picture smiling brightly up at her. Her hands began to tremble slightly,

"Oh, Henry..."

A cough brought her attention to the stairwell, where the muddy-haired boy now stood. The suit fit him perfectly. She set the picture down as he came down the rest of the way, and he took a deep breath, shoving his hands into the pockets,

"So...does it look okay?"

The elderly woman clasped her hand together joyfully, tears streaming down her cheeks as she embraced him,

"It looks wonderful, sweetheart! Absolutely wonderful!"

She pulled away after a few seconds, her smile spreading from ear to ear,

"You have no idea how proud I am to see you in that..."

Jumping suddenly, she hurriedly hobbled to the kitchen, Merrick raising an eyebrow,

"Maggie? You okay?"

She came back out with a bouquet of flowers she had taken from the vase on the table,

"Give these to Blanchett when you see her. She'll love them, I'm sure."

He took them, laughing a little as the woman gave him another hug,

"And you have fun at that dance, child. Don't worry yourself over a little old dame like me. I'll be fine on my own for a few hours."

The boy nodded, pulling away with a stern look on his face,

"I'll have my cell with me, Maggie. If you need me to come home just call and I'll come running-"

Maggie laughed at that, smacking him on the arm,

"Oh, now stop your worrying. I told you, I'll be fine..."

She ushered him to the door, giggling as he stepped out onto the porch,

"Make sure you tell Blanchett I said hello."

"I will, Maggie."

"And don't worry yourself too much."

"I _will_, Maggie."

"And HAVE. FUN."

"_I will_, Maggie."

"But not too much, now. You don't want to wind up with a baby at your age..."

"I will-_Maggie!_"

His face turned beat red as she cackled and he quickly turned away from her, marching down the front walk,

"I'm _leaving_ now!"

"Have fun, dear!"

"Yeah, yeah..."

She sighed as he began to jog down the street, disappearing from her view in a matter of seconds. Her smile fading, she closed the door and stepped over to her writing desk where Henry's picture sat. Opening the drawer, she pulled out her pistol and some ammunition and walked to the couch. Sitting down, she loaded the barrel and spun it, her eyes narrowed.

_'__**"I expect you'll do as we agreed to. You know what will happen if you don't."**__'_

She growled, biting her lip,

_'I don't care who you are...you bastards are never going to lay a hand on my son!'_


	27. XXIV

**A/N: I've realised that there have been a few timeline errors in the course of the story which I'll gradually be going back and correcting. As a heads up, so you don't have to go back and read the chapters over, here they are:**

**-Merrick's age in the current flash back is now 16 as you will soon see below.**

**-This flashback now takes place in 2004, NOT 2005.**

**-Kyoko's age in one of the previous chapters was 22. It should be 24.**

**-Sven now disappeared FOUR years ago instead of SIX, meaning Sven disappeared in 2003 since the story takes place in 2007. It IS however, SIX years from when the original Black Cat story took place.**

***le sigh*  
**

* * *

**XXIV**

The 16-year-old gulped as he knocked on the older girl's door; scratching the back of his head nervously. He caught sight of himself in the window by the door and raised an eyebrow. He felt stocky in the suit Maggie had given him and his short hair made it look as though his head was extremely tiny. Sighing, he slumped a little, beginning to pout,

_'Maybe I should grow it out or something...'_

He jumped as the door suddenly swung open and straightened as Blanchett appeared before him. She was wearing a white tee shirt and pink jeans, and her curly, auburn hair was tied back into a fancy bun. She frowned upon seeing him; eyes wide,

"Merry? What're you doing here?"

Grinning, the boy held up the flowers in his hand,

"Here."

She took them silently, raising an eyebrow at him,

"Did you hit your head or something?"

"I thought a bouquet of flowers might look nice with your gown. We're still on for the dance, right?"

Her face brightened at his smile and she leapt out the door; wrapping her arms around him tightly,

"Oh, Merry! You don't know how much this means to me!!"

He smiled; squeezing her tightly,

"Oh...I think I do."

The girl blinked in confusion as she pulled away; quickly shaking her head,

"Lemme just go put on my dress and we'll go, okay!?"

She ran back inside; the boy stepping in behind her. He glanced around; raising an eyebrow,

"Your dad's not home, is he?"

"Nope," she called from her room in the back of the house,

"He's out hitting the bars in the north end of town, right now. He'll be gone all night."

Merrick coughed at that; pulling nervously at his tie,

"How _lovely_..."

"Okay!"

Blanchett emerged from her room a few minutes later dressed in a black, low cut gown. The dress had no sleeves or straps. Embroidered, silver vines climbed up the front of the dress; the vines stemming off into tiny rhinestone rosettes. Her heeled, black sandals were also decorated by rhinestones. She giggled as she walked up to him and smoothing her dress, she sighed,

"Well, what do you think?"

He opened his mouth to speak. Only a soft squeak came out. She laughed out loud, linking her arm with his,

"C'mon, let's go!"

_~ø~_

Maggie jumped as the phone suddenly began to ring and stood; hobbling over to it cautiously. Swallowing hard, she picked up the receiver with her left hand and gripped her gun tightly with her right,

"Hello?"

**"You hung up on me earlier when I inquired about our deal. Does that mean you're backing out on me?"**

The woman took a deep breath, her blood boiling. This man really knew how to get under her skin,

"Of course it does. You really think I'd hand him over to you just so you can hurt him again!? What kind of person do you think I am--!?"

**"You didn't seem to have a problem with this eight years ago when I proposed it to you. What happened?"**

"I grew a heart."

With that she hung up, and taking a deep breath, she turned away from the phone. Her heart stopped. There he was sitting at her kitchen table. Snapping his phone shut, the dark-haired man stood and stepped calmly toward her,

"Hello, Margaret."

Gasping, she quickly aimed her pistol at him; a scream escaping her as he lunged forward and knocked it from her grasp. His hand wound tightly around her throat; his steely, cerulean eyes narrowing,

"Now, tell me...where is my son?"

_~ø~_

Merrick groaned as they entered the glittering gymnasium and placed a hand to his head. Blanchett frowned slightly,

"Merry? Are you okay? What's wrong?"

The boy shook his head; the ache in his brain subsiding. He turned to her; offering a smile,

"Nothing...it's fine."

The girl smiled back; gasping at the next song that came on,

"Oh! I love this song!!"

Promptly grabbing his arm, the girl excitedly lead him out onto the dance floor,

"C'mon! Let's dance!"

_~ø~_

"My patience is dwindling, Margaret. Where is he?"

The woman gagged; shaking her head,

"I don't...I don't know."

"Oh come now, dear woman, do you honestly expect me to believe that?"

His grip tightened and she gasped; grabbing his hand. He growled softly,

"Tell me."

She swallowed hard, spotting her cane nearby...

_~ø~_

Blanchett giggled as she wrapped her arms around Merrick's neck and gazed up at him happily. The boy smiled down at her; swallowing hard as he placed his hands on her hips. She noticed his hesitance and let out a laugh,

"Prude."

He didn't hear her. His eyes darted nervously around the gym. The heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach was only growing heavier.

"Are you sure you're all right?"

He snapped back to attention; nodding quickly,

"Y-yeah...I told you, I'm fine."

She smiled up at him; pulling him close as they danced,

"Okay...if you say so."

_~ø~_

"Where is Merrick?"

She wheezed; her voice rasping as she spoke,

"For the last time...I told you...I don't know. He went out....I don't tend to bug him...about where he goes nowadays..."

The woman let out a gasp for air as he promptly dropped her and he sighed; turning his back to her,

"He went out, you say? He wouldn't happen to be attending a certain school dance with a young lady by the name of Blanchett Murphy, would he?"

Her eyes widened at that and she quickly snatched the cane up from the floor. Upon standing, she swung hard; the man easily dodging the blow. He grabbed the cane in his hand; smirking at her wildly,

"Should I take that as a 'yes'?"

Pulling her toward him, he slammed his fist into her gut; the woman letting out a painful cry...

_~ø~_

Merrick closed his eyes as the auburn-haired girl rested her head against his chest. It was amazing. He'd been dreaming of this moment for the past eight years...and all he could think about was getting home to make sure Maggie was all right. He sighed deeply; scowling to himself,

_'Stop it, now. Maggie told you she'd be fine. Just because you have a stupid feeling about tonight, does NOT mean anything's gonna happen. I'm sure she's all--.'_

His heart stopped then; the image of the woman being engulfed in flame coming into his mind. Swallowing hard, he pulled away from the girl; shaking his head,

"Blanchett, I..."

She looked so confused. Sighing deeply, he again shook his head,

"I'm sorry... I have to go."

He then turned away; pushing through the crowd as he headed toward the exit. He could hear her calling after him, but her cries were soon drowned out as he passed by the loudness of the speakers. He didn't realise that she was chasing after him,

"MERRICK!!"

_~ø~_

The dark-haired man sighed as he finished spreading the kerosene throughout the house,

"You should have just done as you were told, Margaret."

The woman groaned as she lay on the floor; her face bloody and her body broken. He stepped to the door; lighting a match as he stood in the doorway,

"When you reach those gates, my dear woman...be sure to put in a good word for me."

He then tossed it onto the drenched carpet and calmly walked away.

_~ø~_

Merrick reached their street in a matter of minutes; his heart racing a-mile-a-minute. His eyes widened as he spotted the house on the corner, 312 Mayberry Boulevard, completely swallowed by flames. The sound of distant sirens surrounded him. Shaking his head, he bolted toward the home; his eyes filling with tears,

"MAGGIE!"

_~ø~_

He sighed deeply as he started down the sidewalk. Pulling out his phone, he dialled _his_ number and placed it to his ear.

**"Hello?"**

He scowled, frowning,

"It's Jeremiah. I came to the house you told me... and he's not here."

**"Where is he?"**

"It appears he's at a school dance of some kind."

**"Why not go fetch him, then?"**

Jeremiah paused, bowing his head with a deep sigh.

**"Don't tell me you're having second thoughts about all this. You were the one who set this all into motion, Jeremiah. **

"No. I'm not having second thoughts."

**"Then find the boy so we can get on with our plans."**

"Y-yes, sir."

He hung up then, bowing his head. His mind raced. Was this right...? The boy had been living such a happy life with Margaret. A full life...

He shook his head, his eyes narrowing,

_'Of course it's right...this is what you've wanted all along. Doing this will ultimately make the world a better--'_

It was then that the boy went running passed him. He straightened, dropping his phone as he spun around. He'd grown up so much.

_~ø~_

Blanchett gasped as he sped toward the burning building; her voice crackling as she let out a horrified scream,

"MERRICK, NO!"

Her heel broke then and she fell to her knees; her eyes widening as the boy disappeared inside the building.

_~ø~ _

Merrick coughed as he entered the home, glancing around furiously,

"Maggie!?"

He got nothing in return. Near frantic, he started in further; stepping cautiously around the flames,

"Where are you!? Maggie, answer me!!"

"Merr...ick."

He spotted her lying on the kitchen floor; her body engulfed in flame. Quickly, he took of his coat and ran to her; patting the flames away. He then turned her over; cradling her in his arms. She was so badly burned.

"Maggie?"

The woman coughed violently; her voice soft,

"Sweetheart..."

The boy leaned in closer; making to pick her up,

"Don't worry, Maggie. I'll get you out of here, just hold on--"

She shook her head quickly; placing her hand on his arm,

"No....dear. It's too late for that..."

"B-But, Maggie--!!"

Weakly raising her hand, she touched a scorched finger to his lips,

"Not another word.....now....go."

The muddy-haired boy shook his head, his voice cracking sharply,

"I'm not just gonna leave you here!!"

She winced, forcing a smile through her pain,

"I want you to live...sweetheart. So, go...now. Before it's too late--"

"I _won't_!"

He shivered despite the surrounding heat. The boy bowed his head sadly,

"Who did this, Maggie? Tell me who did this to you."

"So, you can go and get yourself killed trying to hunt them down?"

He remained silent. Gasping for breath, she narrowed her eyes, tears blurring her vision,

"Merrick...promise me...you'll never use that license again. Sweepers....we're disgusting and ugly. We do things...terrible things. We're violent and we have no remorse for the feelings of others. But you...you aren't like the rest of us. I never want you to become tainted with blood...be it that of an innocent or a criminal. You're a saint compared to the rest of us, sweetheart...and I beg you, please stay that way."

"B-But, Maggie I...I don't understand--"

His eyes widened as she grabbed a hold of his shirt and dragged him down to eye level,

"Promise me, you won't continue to be a sweeper. Just _promise me_!!"

She looked to be in so much pain. The boy bit his lip, nodding shortly,

"I....I promise. Maggie, I promise..."

The woman smiled; pulling him into a hug. She then glanced around; her vision darkening. The flames were getting closer,

"You should go....sweetheart."

He pulled away from her; tears rolling down his cheeks. Maggie smiled; weakly wiping them away,

"Now, now...don't cry. It's all right...I'll be in a better place...from now on."

He tensed as her eyelids fluttered; squeezing her hand tightly,

"Maggie?"

"I love you...Merrick. You have made me....so proud..."

Merrick straightened as she suddenly went limp; her eyes locked on the burning stairwell. Swallowing hard, he closed them with a trembling hand. He then stood silently; gazing down at her through blurry eyes. Wiping away the tears, he stepped around her and quickly made his way toward the back door as the roof began to creak. He bolted upon reaching the back porch; stopping at the fence. The house exploded in flame then; the roof caving in on itself.

The muddy-haired boy's eyes widened as he watched their home crumbling before him. All of those memories...gone. Everything was gone. Climbing over the fence, the boy tore through numerous yards; the sounds of sirens all around him leaving a hollow feeling in his heart.

_'"Merrick...promise me...you'll never use that license again. Sweepers....we're disgusting and ugly. I never want you to become tainted with blood...be it that of an innocent or a criminal. Promise me, you won't continue to be a sweeper. Promise me!!"' _

**I promise.**

_----_

"But I broke my promise, Maggie...when I left you there. And again with Blanchett..."

The 19-year-old fell to his knees; his shoulder-length hair fluttering in the cold December wind. His throat tightened and he clenched his fists; his knuckles rubbing against the hard ground beneath him,

"I'm sorry....I'm so sorry....if only I'd been there....I could've stopped it! I could've stopped all of this from happening...!!"

His sobs grew louder by the minute and his body trembled. A tear dripped onto the concrete.

_"I'm so sorry....Maggie."_

~ø~

Eve frowned as she gazed out the window. The rain was coming down hard and steady. It had been almost 7 hours since she'd last seen Merrick. She bit her lip and rubbed nervously at her arm,

_'Merrick...where are you?'_

Thunder rumbled outside; so loud that it rattled the windows. It reminded her of fireworks. She gasped as the image of a dark, blood-ridden alleyway flashed through her mind. Immediately shaking her head, she glanced over at the beige fedora lying on her bedside table.

~ø~

Merrick sighed as he shoved his hands in his pockets. He felt tired as he walked. By this point, he didn't even know where he was headed anymore. He knew he should go back to the room, but he just couldn't bring himself to go there; not yet. There was still something he had to do.

* * *


	28. XXV

**XXV**

The cemetery was practically vacant when he got there; most likely because of the rain. Merrick sighed as he knelt down at her fresh grave; placing a hand on her headstone,

"H-Hey...Blanche."

He bowed his head; the rain beating on him steadily. Lowering his hood, he shook his hair out. He then turned his attention back to her stone,

"So...the weather's pretty crummy today, huh?"

He forced a smile, but it quickly dissipated. Swallowing hard, he took a deep breath and shook his head,

"Blanchett, I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean...If I had known what was wrong..."

His head fell again and he closed his eyes. After a few moments of silence, he stood and gazed at her grave,

"What am I thinking? There's no way I could ever ask for your forgiveness...especially not now."

Pulling his wallet out of his pocket, he rummaged through it and grabbed a beaten picture from one of the folds. He smiled as he gazed down at it. It was a photo of the two of them and in it, they were both smiling. The ferris wheel behind them, as well as the cotton candy stuck to Blanchett's cheek, indicated that they'd been at Champais' Annual Winter Carnival when the picture had been taken. Sniffling, he coughed and knelt back down; setting it at the base of her headstone. He wiped his nose; forcing a smile,

"I really _did_ love you...Blanchett."

He then reached back and pulled his sopping wet hood up. Upon standing, he let out a deep sigh,

"Goodbye."

As he turned to leave, he jumped; his heart stopping as he spotted someone standing in his path. They dropped their umbrella; their brown eyes just as wide as they stared back at him. Within seconds, their messy, black hair was hanging low about their face.

"Merrick," they began; startled,

"Is it really...?"

Merrick tensed,

"Tim Vertical."

~ø~

Rinslet sighed as she walked the halls of the dreary hospital; a cup of luke warm coffee in her hands. She couldn't believe that it had already been a week since Train was defeated. It worried her that he still hadn't regained consciousness.

_'It's still hard to believe that he actually lost. His ego must be taking a really hard hit, right now. But besides that...'_

She stopped a moment; bowing her head.

_'If Jonas Warren could overpower Train this easily...I can only imagine what he did to Sven.'_

She bit her lip. He probably knew about Sven by now. Perhaps that was why he was still unconscious? Maybe he believed he was worthless; that he was better off dead if he couldn't even save his own partner. The woman frowned deeply,

_'I wonder if he'll ever wake up...'_

She then shook her head furiously; continuing down her path,

_'I can't think like that. If I start doubting him now...I'll go crazy!! Besides...'_

Upon reaching his door, she tossed her drink into the nearby waste bin and stepped inside,

_'Train would never give up, especially not now. He's too stubborn and hard-headed to...'_

She stopped short as she entered the room; her eyes widening,

"Train!?"

~ø~

Eve frowned as she laid across the bed; her long, blonde hair sprawling out around her. She gazed at the ceiling silently. What was taking him so long?

_'He should've been back by now.'_

Frowning in worry, the girl sat up and let out a sigh. A few minutes passed before she finally stood,

"That does it."

Slipping on her shoes, she hurried out of the room; locking the door behind her. If this _was_ in fact like last time, she wasn't going to sit around and wait for Merrick to disappear. As she reached the hotel's entrance, she sighed deeply. It was still pouring outside. With a shrug, she morphed her right arm into an umbrella and stepped out into the storm. She didn't seem to notice how many stares she had acquired by doing so.

~ø~

He gazed at the ghost before him; his mind in complete shock. He didn't know what to say. Merrick had been like a brother to him. He had helped him to open up when they'd met in middle school. He'd protected him from those who had threatened to bully him in high school. When he'd died in that fire; he'd felt a part of himself die, as well. And then there was the news report six months ago...about Eve and her captor. The picture had looked so much like Merrick. He'd known that was impossible, though. Nevertheless, he'd decided to make it his first story for Champais University's newspaper. And now, here the story stood. Merrick. In the flesh. He shook his head; his voice soft with disbelief,

"You...you're supposed to be dead."

Merrick swallowed hard and sheepishly placed a hand behind his head; forcing a bright grin,

"Surprise!"

Clenching his fists, Tim snarled; his eyes welling with tears,

"You...you son of a bitch!!"

He charged forward and slammed his fist into the boy's face. Merrick tumbled backward to the ground and Tim knelt over him; grabbing the collar of his shirt,

"Do you have any idea what you put everyone through!?! How much pain you caused all of us!!?! How much pain you caused _her_!?!"

He pointed at Blanchett's grave; tears streaming down his face.

"She _waited_ for you!! She swore to herself that she wouldn't leave here...that she _couldn't_ leave here!! Because she was waiting for you to come back to her!! The only hospital that could've helped her was out of town...and yet still she stayed here!! Even though she knew you never were never coming back!!"

Merrick turned his gaze from the boy; sighing deeply,

"I know."

Tim growled as the boy silenced and again punched him the jaw,

"You _know_!!? What do you mean_ 'you know'_!? How could you possibly know when you weren't even here for the past three years!!?"

The boy trembled; his voice crackling as he continued,

"All I could do this whole time...was sit here and watch her destroy herself. I had to watch her marry that _bastard_ Lector Garland...I had to sit back and take it as he beat her and _abused_ her!! She made herself sick over it and when she couldn't take it anymore...I had to watch her disappear."

Slowly, he loosened his grip on Merrick's collar; his head bowing,

"It was like losing you all over, again..."

Merrick sighed as he listened to the boy sob and turned his silent gaze to the rainy skies. He closed his eyes,

_"I'm sorry..Tim."_

~ø~

"Train!?"

The chestnut-haired man jumped at the sound of her shrill voice; glancing back from his perch on the open window sill. A bead of sweat ran down his face,

"H-Hi, Rins...how's it goin'?"

Clenching her fists, the woman charged over to him and grabbed him by the back of his collar. She dragged him back to the bed; slamming him down in it,

"You idiot! You can't go back out there, yet! You're hardly healed enough...and just how long ago did you wake up, anyway!?"

Train flashed her an impish grin and laughed loudly,

"What do you mean? I've been awake all along!!"

_SMACK._

The man's head dropped and a large lump developed on the back of his skull. Rinslet lowered his fist,

"You're crazy, you know that? That guy nearly killed you and now you're planning to go back out there and do it again!?"

He sighed deeply; refusing to look at her,

"How's Leon?"

"Don't change the subject."

Lowering his gaze, the man fell silent. The lavender-haired woman sighed deeply,

"Jenos told me everything."

He glanced up at her in surprise; noticing her fists beginning to shake.

"I know that it was Jonas Warren who took Sven."

The chestnut-haired man stood as she lowered her head,

"Do you know who he's working for?"

She silenced.

Gritting his teeth, he rushed over to her and grabbed her by the shoulders,

"Rins, you have to tell me...._please_!"

Rinslet quickly looked away from him, biting her lip. His grip tightened on her shoulders,

"_Rinslet_--"

"Chronos."

He froze. She raised her head; her expression solemn as she repeated herself,

"And he's not working _for_ them...he _is _them."

Train's eyes widened...

~ø~

Eve sighed as she reached yet another barren side street,

"Damn. Still no sign of him."

She spotted an old man walking down the street and took a deep breath; jogging over to him,

"Excuse me! Sir?"

The man turned around; blinking his squinty eyes with a smile,

"Oh, why hello, young lady! What can I do for you?"

The ruby-eyed girl returned the smile and exhaled softly,

"I was wondering if you've seen my friend. He's about 166cm tall with dark brown hair and a lip ring?"

The old man shook his head,

"Nope. Sorry. I haven't seen anyone like that around here."

Her smile faded and she sighed,

"I see. Thank you anyway."

She started down the road; her head bowed in silence. Where could he have gone?

"You might want to try the carnival."

The blonde frowned as she turned back to the old man,

"Carnival?"

"Why, yes," he began, pointing up the street behind her,

"Champais' Annual Winter Carnival. Just over there."

She turned back in the direction he'd been pointing and gasped. Looming over her was a giant glittering ferris wheel.

"If your friend was anywhere right now, my first guess would be there."

He turned away from her then and continued on his merry way. The girl straightened as she gazed at the bright lights and unconsciously lowered her umbrella. She had never seen anything like it.

"A carnival..."

~ø~

"So...if you weren't in the house...where were you?"

Merrick sighed as he leaned back against Blanchett's tombstone; Tim beside him,

"I _was_ inside."

The raven-haired boy straightened; raising an eyebrow,

"What!? Then, how--!?"

"I got out...just before it went up."

"And Maggie?"

The muddy-haired boy bowed his head. He could see her lying there on the floor; burnt and beaten. She smiled to him,

_'"I love you...Merrick. You have made me....so proud..."'_

He coughed; scratching at the back of his neck,

"She, uh...she didn't make it."

"Oh...I see."

Tim sighed; looking up at the clouds,

"It looks like more rain's headed this way."

"_Wonderful._"

_SILENCE._

"I...I just can't believe it."

Merrick glanced over at the boy; raising an eyebrow. Tim continued; a smile creeping across his face,

"All this time, everyone thought you were dead. But here you are...still kicking."

"Actually," the boy began; flashing him a smirk,

"I'm sitting, right now."

Tim narrowed his eyes,

"And still the same _smart ass_ you always were."

The muddy-haired boy wiped at his nose; chuckling softly,

"Were you expecting anything less?"

"But there's still something you haven't explained to me."

Merrick straightened; raising a confused eyebrow,

"Hmm? And what's that?"

"Is it true," Tim began; turning to him grimly,

"Did you really kidnap Eve?"

~ø~

"What do you mean...'he _is _them'?"

Rinslet pried his hands from her shoulders and silently took out her phone. She flipped it open and went to her voice mail,

"Jenos contacted me about a month ago. I didn't get the message until last week."

Pressing open, the message began to play,

**"BEEEEEEEP. Rins? Rins, are you there? Listen, I know you're mad at me, but I really need you to pick up if you're there! Chronos is being overrun! Jonas Warren! I've been tailing him for some time, now! He killed Belze, Rins. He killed Belze and he's killed the Elders. He's using some kind of superior Nanotechnology....a lot like that little Eve girl has....but it's different somehow. Excelion had no effect on him! He has Heartnet's friend, Rins. He's been using the vision eye to plan out strategies...and use Chronos for his own personal gain! Rins...Rins! It's important!! Rins! Rins, I'm serious! Please pick up!! Rinslet! BEEEEEEEP."**

Train's eyes were wide as it ended,

"Then...is he--?"

The lavender-haired woman nodded shortly,

"I've called Jenos' phone five times now and I can't even reach his voice mail. He probably got himself killed."

He bowed his head, sighing deeply,

"I'm sorry--"

"Which is why _you_ can't go back out there."

Raising his gaze, he noticed that she was now trembling,

"Rins...?"

"I've already lost two people I care about....don't go adding to my list just because your head's not screwed on right!!"

Her voice cracked mid shout and a few tears splashed onto the floor. Train straightened, lowering his gaze,

"....I'm sorry. I can't do that."

He then stood, his expression grim as he headed toward the door,

"Especially now with all that's happened. I can't let Warren get away with what he's done--"

He felt a sharp tug at his shirt and glanced over his shoulder at the woman. She refused to look up at him,

"Sven was my friend, too, Train. And he was a damn _good _one. But what about Eve!? He told you to go look for her!! He made it clear that he wanted you to protect her!! If you just ignore that...if you go after Jonas Warren, then Jenos and Sven...their sacrifices will have been for _nothing_!!"

"Who said I was going to go after _him_ first?"

Rinslet frowned, raising an eyebrow as he turned to face her. Train clenched his fists tightly,

"You're right, Rins. I-I still don't want to believe it, but Sven..."

The man coughed; forcing a smile,

"Sven told me to find Eve. And that's just what I'm gonna do."

He started for the door; pausing a moment,

"But you know...finding li'l princess is gonna be a tough job. It'd be a lot easier if we worked together, that is, if you're not too busy with other things, right now."

The lavender-haired woman smiled back,

"Of course I'll help."

"What's your price?"

She smiled; giving him a wink as she strutted out the door,

"We'll talk about that after we find Eve, 'kay?"

"Thanks Rins."

Rinslet turned to him; her eyes widening a little as she caught sight of the tear gliding down his cheek. She sighed deeply as he hurried out ahead of her and bowed her head sadly,

_'You figured it out now, didn't you, Train...'_

~ø~

_'...that there's no way that Sven could still be alive?'_

Li leaned back against the nearby wall; his gaze set on the weakened man lying before him. He sighed. He hadn't realised just what kind of toll all of this had taken on the man. The colour of his hair had changed drastically, from a vibrant lime to a pale jade, and it had grown out passed his shoulder blades. He looked sickly, almost like a skeleton, and his skin was deathly pale. His breathing was shallow and weak. The raven-haired man bit his lip and pulled his phone from his pocket; quickly dialling a long distance number. It rang a few times; a strong yet peppy voice picking up on the other end,

**"Y-ello?"**

"Is everything set?"

**"Not yet...I need a little more time if that's okay. This thing's a bit too complicated to fix in a week."**

"Well, do your best...but please hurry. And keep a careful eye out. We'll need to be quick if we're going to do this."

**"Gotcha."**

He snapped the phone shut; his eyes narrowing as he again set his gaze on Sven. The hour's reprieve that Jonas had, albeit unwillingly, agreed to give him did not seem to be helping. Li sighed and lowered his head,

_'If things continue the way they are...'_

_**Heartnet's friend will surely die.**_

~ø~

"You...you know...Eve?"

Tim nodded,

"I met her a few years ago. One of her guardians really helped me out."  
Merrick straightened,

_'Guardians...'_

"Does that mean...you met Sven?"

The boy nodded,

"Yeah. And Train, too. They helped me pay back the bastard cop that killed my dad_._"

He then swallowed hard; shifting nervously,

"But Merrick, if you kidnapped her, you should really let her go. They'll come after you with a vengeance...Sven and Train, I mean. You really don't want to mess with them...and I really don't want to have to turn you in--"

"It's not like that."

The muddy-haired boy lowered his gaze; smiling slightly,

"I didn't kidnap her. Eve hired me."

"Hired you? To do what?"

"You mean...you haven't heard?"

Tim raised an eyebrow and frowned,

"Heard what? What happened?"

Merrick sighed deeply and bowed his head,

"Sven went missing five years ago."

The raven-haired boy silenced; his eyes wide as Merrick continued,

"I guess her other guardian, _Tram_ or whatever, went out to look for him without her. When we met, she hired me to help her find Sven."

He glanced over at Tim and snorted; noting the shock on his face,

"What? You didn't know?"

"N-No," the boy stammered; scratching his head,

"This is the first I've heard of it. I guess I was so busy with trying to fit in that I stopped paying attention to the news."

"Some journalist, _you_ are."

"Shut up!"

He bowed his head; a sad frown pulling at his lips,

"That's so horrible. How...how is Eve dealing with it?"

Merrick paused.

_'"Sven...don't go."'_

"It's killing her. She won't admit it...but I can see it in her eyes. Everyday he's gone...she dies a little more on the inside. I try to help her...but the more I do; the worse she seems to get. I couldn't even tell her about..."

He trailed off as the image of Sven's spectral figure in the forest came to his mind.

Tim glanced up at his friend; his eyes widening as he noted the forlorn expression on his face,

"About what? Merrick...?"

The muddy-haired boy jumped at the sound of a loud rumble overhead and swallowed hard; laughing nervously,

"About the fact that I...uh...that I worry about her so much! She wouldn't really want to hear that anyway. She's not the type that likes to make people worry! It would just upset her if I told her that--"

"Or it would show her that she's not alone."

He straightened; frowning as Tim continued,

"Right now...I imagine she's just as broken up about Sven as _you_ are about Blanchett. To let her know that you're worried about her would let her know she's not alone...and maybe you would know the same, then."

Merrick raised an eyebrow as Tim stood and blinked silently.

"You aren't alone, you know. You never have been. All of the people you've touched...the friends you've made. They're all still with you; even Blanchett and Maggie. They'll always be with you no matter where you are. And...I will be, too."

He turned back to the boy and extended a hand; grinning brightly,

"If you just let us...we'll always be there for you."

They stared at each other for a moment, both of them falling completely silent. After a minute of so, Merrick's shocked expression turned into a glare of disbelief,

"Did you just give me a friendship speech?"

Tim straightened; his eye twitching as the boy slapped his hand away.

"You're such a sap, Vertical."

The boy spun around as Merrick began to leave; his eyes widening,

"H-Hey, wait a minute! Where are you going?"

The muddy-haired boy stopped; sighing deeply,

"I appreciate the thought, Tim...but you should know by now that I'm a bit hard-headed when it comes to things like this."

Tim raised an eyebrow curiously,

"What?"

"I mean," Merrick began, glancing over his shoulder with a smile,

"Thanks anyway, but a speech won't do me any good...because when it comes right down to it..."

He bowed his head darkly,

"All of those people would've been better off...had they never met me."

The muddy-haired boy turned away from him then and started for the cemetery gates. Tim tensed, his heart sinking into his stomach as he chased after him,

"M-Merrick, wait!"

He reached out to grab the boy by the shoulder; his eyes widening in shock as he suddenly vanished before his eyes. Tim gasped, glancing around near frantically for his friend,

"Merrick? Merrick!! Hey! Where are you!?"

His eyes glistened brightly as lightning flashed overhead and he shook his head; frowning,

"He...he couldn't have been... he was so real...! He _couldn't_ have been just a ghost!"

He clenched his fists tightly, tears welling in his eyes as he let out another shout,

"Merrick!! Where the hell did you run off to so fast!?!"

~ø~

Merrick gasped as he ran through the streets of South Champais; his heart pounding madly against his chest,

_'I know it was wrong to use that...but...it wasn't like I had any other choice!'_

He closed his eyes; the rain pelting hard against him,

_'Maybe he can forget about me now...after a run-in like that.'_

Turning the corner, he gasped for breath; coughing violently. He fell against the wall of the building beside him. It had been quite a long time since he'd used that move. It always left him so drained.

He began coughing again and clamped a hand over his mouth. His eyes widened as the coughs grew wet and he pulled his hand away from his lips. Sure enough, his fingers were covered in little crimson speckles while the vast majority of the liquid had soaked into his glove. Narrowing his eyes, he closed his fist,

_'More blood.'_

He leaned back against the wall; weakly sliding down to the floor,

_'What the hell...is happening to me?'_

The boy closed his eyes and leaned his head back; allowing the rain to beat him in the face. He sighed. This moment in the rain was almost comforting. He imagined his past were being washed away with each droplet that splattered on his skin. It was almost enough to make him smile. _Almost_.

It was then that somehow the rain suddenly and abruptly stopped. Merrick blinked in confusion and opened his eyes. In his direct line of vision was a purple and pink umbrella. He followed the umbrella to it's owner; his eyes slowly widening. The worried expression on the young blonde's face troubled him. He blinked in confusion,

"E-Eve. What are you doing here?"

The girl remained silent. Retracting her umbrella, she knelt down in front of him and leaned forward. His eyes widened as she wrapped her arms around him,

"Eve--?"

"I was worried...so I came looking for you."

Her embrace tightened and he straightened; glancing at her from the corner of his eye,

"You...you didn't have to do that--"

"I know," she began; pulling away from him with a smile. A single tear slid down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away,

"I just wanted to make sure you'd come back."

The girl then stood and he swallowed hard as he watched her dust herself off,

_'Eve...'_

Turning to him, she smiled and extended her hand,

"Shall we go?"

He gazed at her blankly for a minute; then smiled in return,

"Y-Yeah."

He took her hand. As they walked down the street, he glanced over at her and sighed,

_'I worried you...when you have enough on your plate to worry about.'_

She turned to him with a bright smile; giggling happily. His heart fluttered.

_'"You're a curse, after all. A kiss of death for those closest to you."'_

_'__**BANG!**__'_

The boy swallowed hard; his stomach beginning to turn,

_'I can't stay here. If I do..._

He gazed at Eve silently. The image of her disintegrating corpse reentered his mind and a numbing chill surged through him,

_'...she'll end up dead.'_

* * *

**A/N: That was a long chapter. .;**


	29. Special Chapter 03: Our Winter Carnival

**A/N: Huzzah and Hurrah! The last emo chapter for now!! Maaan, it's been so tough writing this part. Emoing Merrick gives me a headache.... .;**

* * *

**Special Chapter III: Our Winter Carnival**

"It looks like the rain is finally clearing up!"

Eve smiled as she turned from the window and to the muddy-haired boy sitting on the sofa,

"How's your wound doing?"

Merrick shrugged; wincing slightly as he shifted,

"It's fine. I'm just a little sore. Why?"

At that, she walked over to him and grabbed him by the arm,

"Then, c'mon. We're going out."

The boy raised his eyebrow as she dragged him out the door; his voice squeaking slightly,

"Out? Out where?!"

~ø~

He'd forgotten how beautiful the town looked at night. Merrick was silent as he and Eve trekked through the crowds. His eyes darted from one scene to the next. He couldn't believe it. Feeling a tug at his shirt, he glanced down at the blonde; raising an eyebrow,

"Where are we going?"

She pointed ahead of her to a series of sparkling lights down the road,

"Over there."

The boy straightened. A glittering ferris wheel towered over them. He could hear the sounds of laughter drifting in the air and the smell of funnel cakes hit him like a brick wall. They stopped as they reached the gates; Merrick smiling slightly,

"Champais' annual Winter Carnival...I'd almost forgotten about it. Maggie used to take me every year. We had to scrape up any change we had just to be able to afford tickets..."

Eve smiled as she looked up at him,

"That sounds nice..."

He nodded,

"It was. All the rides and the sweets....it was loads of fun. When I turned 14, Maggie wasn't feeling well, so... I wound up going alone. I met up with Blanchett during the wait for the Gravitron..."

The blonde straightened. His smile was so sad. She slipped her hand into his and he glanced down at her in surprise.

She offered him a sympathetic smile,

"We don't have to go in if you don't want to."

_SILENCE._

"No...let's go. I think it'll be fun."

Merrick turned to her; laughing a little,

"And besides, there'll be a fireworks show later. I know you wouldn't want to miss it..."

On that note, the boy pulled his hand away from hers and headed toward the gate in silence. Eve bowed her head; placing that hand to her heart. The pain had been so plainly written on his face. She couldn't even begin to imagine how he must've been feeling.

"Hey!"

Startled, the girl glanced up; spotting him by the ticket booth. He smiled to her,

"Are you comin' or what?"

She nodded, smiling brightly as she hurried over to him.

"So, what do you wanna hit first?"

"Um...I don't know. What do you want to do?"

"Eh, I dunno. I guess we'll figure it out when we get inside."

"Okay."

~ø~

"Ooh! What's this?"

The petite blonde placed a fingertip to her lip as she gazed at the contraption. Merrick raised an eyebrow as he stepped up beside her and nodded,

"That? That's the mallet game."

"Mallet...game?"

He nodded; pointing to the machine,

"Yeah. The object is to hit that round platform as hard as you can with a hammer, and depending on how much force you put into it, you'll get a prize."

Turning to her, he smiled,

"You want me to show you?"

Eve blinked, nodding to him shortly,

"Sure."

With a deep breath, the boy cracked his knuckles and walked over to the contraption. A man standing there took his ticket and handed him a mallet. Sighing, the boy took a couple of practice swings. Finally, when he was ready, he reared back with the hammer and slammed it with all of his might down onto the target. A red line on the back of the machine soared upward; reaching 74 before sinking back down. The boy groaned, rubbing his wound sorely,

"That probably wasn't the _best_ idea in the world."

"Here's your prize, kid."

The boy frowned as he was handed a stuffed white cat. The thing was approximately the size of his hand and had a strange smirk on it's face. Sighing, he shook his head and headed back over to her,

"And that's how you play the-- Eve?"

He glanced around; raising an eyebrow,

"Huh? Where'd she go?"

"I'd like to try."

Merrick spun around to see Eve standing at the foot of the contraption. The man standing there took her ticket and offered her the mallet, but she declined,

"No, thank you. I'll manage."

He raised an eyebrow at her as she stepped over to the target,

"O....kay?"

Doing a bit of stretching first, the girl straightened and took a deep breath. She raised one hand to the sky,

_'Transform....hammer!'_

Out from her palm bubbled an enormous mallet, and once fully formed, she took a strong hold of it. Rearing back, she grabbed the mallet with her other hand as well and brought it down onto the target. It hit with a loud 'bam' and the machine buckled under the force of the hit. It sunk a few inches into the ground and the little red line soared upward; so far upward that it broke off of the contraption completely and flew off into the sky. Both the man running the game and Merrick stared at her blankly. She then turned to the man next to her expectantly; an excited look in her eyes,

"Do I get a prize, now?"

"Y-Yeah, sure..."

~ø~

"How do you do that, exactly?"

Eve frowned, raising an eyebrow as she glanced up at the boy,

"Do what?"

Merrick grunted; adjusting the enormous stuffed elephant on his back,

"That thing with your body. You know...the morphing stuff."

She blinked at him blankly as they came to a stop,

"We've been travelling with each other for four months and you're just _now_ starting to wonder about it?"

"N-No! I didn't ask before because I didn't want to seem rude!"

"Why would it be rude? It's an understandable question. Not many people can morph their bodies like I can."

The boy blushed; swallowing hard,

"Well...I didn't know if it would be too personal or not, okay?"

He straightened as she began to giggle; frowning,

"What's so funny?"

Eve shook her head and smiled,

"Nothing."

Suddenly grabbing him by the arm, the girl took off down the midway; dragging him behind her,

"C'mon!"

He yelped as he nearly tripped and awkwardly stumbled behind her,

"W-Wait a minute! Where are we going?!"

After about 2 minutes of darting in and out of the crowds; she made her way to the glittering ferris wheel. She pointed upward excitedly,

"There!"

They stopped at the foot of it and Merrick sighed,

_'Oh joy.'_

"It's called a ferris wheel, isn't it?"

"Yeah," he began, yawning a little,

"You ever been on one?"

"No. I've only read about them in books."

He straightened; glancing over at her. Her curiousity was plainly written on her face. Could it be that she really hadn't been on a ferris wheel before? The boy bowed his head,

_'What kind of life did you have growing up that would keep you __**this**__ sheltered from everything...?'_

"Do you think you can see the whole city from there?"

Eve turned to him; her eyes bright with excitement. Merrick smiled, turning his attention back to the ferris wheel,

"I dunno. I guess we'll have to find out, won't we?"

~ø~

"Wow!"

Eve gasped, glancing at the scenery all around her,

"Everything's so high!"

"Well, yeah. What were you expecting it to be like?"

"I don't know...I don't have a frame of reference."

Merrick smiled and leaned back in his seat. He gazed out of the cabin window with a sigh. The city glittered beautifully below them like sparkling diamonds. He snuck a glance at the girl; blushing a little. He couldn't believe how innocent she was. It was like watching a curious little baby see the world for the first time. He sighed,

_'She's so...cute.'_

"Huh? Did you say something?"

His eyebrow twitched and he slammed himself back against the seat,

"N-No! Nothing!"

The ruby-eyed girl blinked; turning back to her window,

"Weird."

He sighed deeply; placing a hand on his chest. His heart was pounding,

_'Man, I really have to be careful when I daydream!'_

Clearing his throat, the boy scratched at the back of his head,

"So, uh, Eve. How do you like it so far?"

The girl smiled; not even turning her gaze from the window as she replied,

"It's wonderful! I just love it up here!"

He straightened; a stinging pain surging through his mind. His eyes widened.

_'"Oh, Merry! I just love it!!"'_

_----_

_Blanchett giggled as she took the strange, stuffed animal in both arms. Whatever it was wore a white suit with a red and gold tie, and shiny black shoes on it's feet. It's eyes were just two red swirls on it's bald head. She squeezed it lovingly; a soft squeal escape her,_

_"I can't believe you won him for me! He's so cute!"_

_"Yeah, well..."_

_A blush crossed his cheeks. She was so beautiful._

_**'"If you loved me Blanchett...then why didn't you say so!?"'**_

_**'"Would it have even made a difference?"'**_

_**'"Everyone you've ever gotten close to...everyone you've ever loved. They're all dead, thanks to you."' **_

_**'"Th-That's not true! I never killed anyone!!"'**_

_**'"You're a curse, after all. A kiss of death for those closest to you."'**_

_**BANG.**_

_"Merrick? Merrick!!"_

----

The boy gasped as he felt Eve's hand touch his and he glanced down at it. It was such a soft, gentle touch. He then turned his eyes to her. A worried look had settled on her face,

"Are you feeling all right?"

He blushed a little; quickly pulling his hand away from her,

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"Well, you got so pale all of a sudden that I thought maybe your wound..."

She trailed off; shaking her head,

"Nevermind. Forget I asked."

They both silenced. After a few moments, they reached the top and the ferris wheel came to a halt.

"Nanomachines."

Merrick raised an eyebrow as he turned his gaze to her; frowning,

"Huh?"

"You asked me earlier how I do my transformations," she began, placing a hand on her chest,

"I have an organ in my body that produces them. I was originally created to be a machine of war for a man named Torneo Rudman."

The muddy-haired boy straighted; his eye widening,

"A machine...of war?"

She nodded and pulled a wallet from her pocket. It was Sven's. Flipping it open, she smiled and traced her fingers over the picture on his sweeper license,

"But then...Sven saved me. He told me that I could be my own person and that no one had the right to own me. He showed me freedom."

Closing her eyes, she pressed the wallet to her heart.

_'"We each decide how to live our lives. Scum like you have no right to own anyone."'_

She could see him standing there; his lime-coloured hair fluttering in the breeze. He smiled at her. He was just out of her reach.

"You miss him a lot...don't you?"

Eve gasped as she opened her eyes; looking to Merrick curiously. The boy smiled,

"Don't worry. He's gotta be out there somewhere. You'll find him sooner or later, I'm sure."

She blinked; nodding shortly as she wiped a tear from her eye,

"You're right! I'm just hoping it's sooner rather than later..."

He turned back to the window; sighing deeply as he gazed down at the city below. His mind wandered back to that moment in the forest...the moment when Sven's ghost had appeared,

_'I don't...I just don't have the heart to tell her.'_

_**BAKOOM. **_

Eve gasped as a brilliant red light filled the sky outside their cabin window,

"Fireworks!"

Merrick blinked and glanced down at his watch,

"I guess they decided to start the show early this year."

"They're so pretty....."

The boy silenced as he watched her; inwardly sighing,

_'Eve...'_

His heart flip-flopped as she turned to him with a bright smile. She giggled happily. His head bowed when she returned to window gazing and he bit his lip. These feelings developing inside of him had to stop and soon...before the curse came into affect.

After a few more minutes, their car finally reached the ground and the two clambered out onto the platform. Eve quickly grabbed Merrick by the arm and dragged him forward,

"C'mon! This way!"

"Hey! Where are you taking me, _now_!?"

"You'll see!"

~ø~

"Here."

They came to a halt outside of a curtained booth and Merrick frowned; raising an eyebrow,

"Its a photobooth."

The girl nodded shortly and shoved him inside,

"Yep!"

His face slammed into the far wall as he staggered in and he groaned; clamping a hand over his nose as he sat down. She took a seat next to him and he raised an eyebrow at her; frowning,

"Why are we _here_?"

"Because!"

She pressed the red button in front of them and leaned closer to him; smiling,

"Say 'mozzarella'!"

The boy blinked,

"Eve, I think you mean 'cheese'--"

_FLASH._

Smirking, she grabbed a hold of his cheeks and pulled them to either side.

_FLASH._

Next, she rose two fingers behind his head and stuck out her tongue.

_FLASH._

Pulling two clumps of his hair into pigtails, she grinned.

_FLASH._

The boy's eyebrow twitched in annoyance,

_'So, she wants to play like that, huh? Well...TWO can play this game!'_

He leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek. The girl stopped; her eyes wide.

_FLASH._

Realising what he'd just done, Merrick quickly pulled away from her and flattened himself back against the wall. Eve touched a hand to her cheek and blinked up at him. They both remained silent as they stared at one another.

_FLASH._

The machine began to whirr then, and a few seconds later, a strip of photos popped out from slot in the wall. The boy swallowed hard as she retrieved them and watched silently as she exited the booth.

Taking a deep breath, he followed after her. She stood outside; gazing down at the photos. A bright blush crossed his face and he coughed; scratching his head nervously,

"L-Listen, Eve...about that kiss--"

"It didn't come out. It's a shame. It would've been cute, too."

He stopped as she spun around and showed him the strip. Sure enough, they'd only received four of the six pictures that were taken. His jaw dropped at that and he could feel his entire being freeze,

_'Didn't come out!? W-wait a minute...'_

He glanced back at Eve. The blonde was smiling. He gulped,

_'Did she say...'it would've been cute'?'_

"Here."

Merrick straightened as she handed him the strip; raising an eyebrow,

"What--"

"These are for you....to remind you that you always have a friend."

The boy smiled as he gazed down at them. He remained silent.

"Do you like them?"

Startled, the boy jumped and nodded quickly,

"Y-yeah! Of course I do! They're great!"

Eve smiled; both hands behind her back,

"I'm glad."

He blinked as she turned away from him and headed off down the midway. Sighing deeply, he glanced back down at the photo strip in his hand,

_'Eve...you have no idea how much these mean to me. Thank you.'_

"Are you coming?"

Merrick nodded shortly; jogging up to her as he slid the photo strip into his pocket,

"Yeah! Wait up....!"

"What should we do now?"

"I dunno," he began; shrugging slightly,

"Whatever you wanna do I guess."

~ø~

Merrick sighed as he laid her down on the bed and grabbed the sheets; tucking her in snugly. He then took the beige fedora that rested on the bedside table and carefully placed it in her arms. A tiny smile crept across her lips, and at that, he sighed in relief. He stood back and smiled.

_'"Let's go on this ride next!"'_

----

_Eve smiled as she clambered onto the carousel; an excited giggle escaping her as she hopped onto an elephant's back,_

_"Hurry!"_

_He climbed onto the animal nearest her; a very, VERY pink unicorn. His eyebrow twitched as the ride began,_

_'Man, this is embarassing.'_

_After a few minutes, he sighed and glanced over to her,_

_"So, are you having fun, Eve--?"_

_The boy straightened. Leaning against the pole, Eve had somehow managed to fall asleep in the middle of the ride..._

_----_

As not to wake her, Merrick had decided to carry her back to the hotel on his back. He stretched as he headed over to his own bed. He soon realised that it had not been such a good idea.

_CRACK_.

He winced; carefully lying back on the mattress,

"Ow, ow, ow...!"

Closing his eyes, he exhaled heavily. Tonight had been nice. Eve had been very sweet the entire day; so much so that it surprised him. He wasn't used to her being so caring around him. Not that he thought she was overly mean or a down right bitch, but just that she usually wasn't so...tactful around him.

_'Her change in disposition had to be because of Blanchett.'_

Merrick sighed; his stomach beginning to churn anxiously. Blanchett. What he had done to her...that was something that could never be forgiven. He sat up in bed and glanced over at Eve. She was sleeping soundly. On the night table beside her bed lay Sven's wallet. Quietly, he picked it up and opened it; gazing at the picture on his sweeper license. He snorted. He'd never met anyone with green hair before...or...had he? A sudden wave of familiarity washed over him and the boy frowned. It was a strange kind of recognition. Had he met Sven before? He knew that he'd somehow met the man's spirit, but this feeling...it was different somehow. Had they actually met before; face to face? He shook his head and sat the wallet back down. It must've been during his time as a gang member all those years ago. Maybe he'd run from Sven once? The man _was_ a sweeper, after all.

Sighing deeply, the boy placed both hands on his knees and stood,

"Well...no point in delaying this any longer."

He snatched up the bag at the foot of his bed and took out a piece of paper and a pen. It took him only a moment to write. He then placed the paper on the nightstand next to the wallet and slung the bag over his shoulder. Stepping over to Eve, he watched her sleep for a few moments; his vision growing watery. He then took a deep breath and leaned down over her; touching his forehead to hers. She didn't stir. Taking one of her hands into his own, he smiled sadly and pulled it up to his chest,

"You'll never know how much these past four months have meant to me...Eve."

Lightly kissing her forehead, he gently placed her hand back down onto Sven's fedora and stood. A single tear gleamed down his cheek as he gazed at her; his smile genuine,

"I hope that maybe someday...you can forgive me."

Without another word, he headed for the door and stepped out into the hall; shutting it quietly behind him. He leaned back against it silently and bit his lip. Thunder rumbled softly overhead. It sounded as though the rain would be returning soon. Swallowing hard, the boy bowed his head; his fists clenched tightly at his sides,

"I'm sorry."

He took off running for the exit as fast as his feet could carry him; the thunder growing closer.

~ø~

Eve gasped as she opened her eyes; the sound of thunder booming overhead. She sat up in bed; glancing around the dark room curiously. When had they made it back to the hotel?

"Merrick?"

She received no reply. Frowning, she clambered out of bed; straightening as she felt something crush beneath her foot. Glancing down, she gasped and quickly picked up Sven's fedora. She punched out the dent and went to place it on the nightstand; stopping as she spotted a piece of notebook paper lying there. She set the hat down on the bed beside her and picked up the paper; her heart stopping as she read over it.

_**Eve, **_

_**I know I haven't been completely honest with you and for that, I'm sorry. I just want you to understand everything that I did, I did to protect you. I want nothing but happiness for you, which is why I can't stay. If I did...it would only cause you more pain. Don't try to find me. The last thing I'd want is for you to become distracted on your search for Sven. I know how badly you want to find him and I truly hope that you will. Consider the contract between us terminated. **_

_**Signed, Merrick W. Satcher.**_

Gasping softly, the girl shoved on a pair of slippers and quickly ran from the room. She was met by a wall of rain as she reached the hotel doors, but she didn't think twice about running out into it. She glanced about frantically as she reached the sidewalk; her hair and clothes immediately soaking up the rain. She ran down the street; her slippers flying off after a few blocks. Her heart raced violently as she spotted a muddy-haired boy up the road and she cried out to him,

"Merrick!!"

Upon reaching him, she grabbed his arm and tugged at it,

"Merrick, don't go!!"

"Excuse me?"

He turned around; both of his aging, brown eyes staring back at her in confusion. She quickly backed away from the man; shaking her head as he turned away from her,

"I...I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else..."

She watched him cross the street in silence; her throat tightening. Taking off again, she bit her lip; a tear rolling down her cheek...

~ø~

Merrick sat back in his seat; gazing blankly out the window at the pouring rain. A flicker of lightning. A roll of thunder. Neither one made him flinch. He sighed deeply as the train began to move and closed his eyes,

_'I'm doing the right thing...I know it. There's no doubt in my mind about that...'_

In his hand, he tightly held onto their photo strip.

_**Eve will be better off... without me.**_


	30. XXVI

**A/N: Happy New Year, everyone!** **I had been planning on waiting until February to post another chapter(so it could seem like we were in almost real time! :D) but I have no self restraint and had to post it nao. lol** **Enjoy!**

* * *

**XXVI**

Jonas raised an eyebrow as his phone began to ring and he pulled the contraption from his pocket,

"Hello?"

**"Sir, we have the bioweapon in sight."**

He smirked; resting a hand on the back of his young lab assistant's chair,

"I see. We're on our way. Be sure to keep an eye on her."

Hanging up the phone, he glanced through the window at Sven. He then turned and left the room; calling back to his assistant,

"Ready him. We'll be leaving shortly."

The assistant sighed deeply and reluctantly stood; heading out into the lab...

~ø~

**"Good **_**mooooorning**_**, Stock Town! It's February 24th, and here is your local news..."**

She sighed as she stepped out of the shower; shivering all over as she quickly wrapped herself in a fuzzy, sky-blue towel. Wrapping her hair up in an identical towel, she walked out into the main room and stopped; her eyes fixed on the television for a moment. A police sketch of a boy with dark hair and a lip piercing flickered on the screen.

**"There's still no word on the whereabouts of the young girl taken hostage by this man. The pair disappeared 6 months ago from Les Ses Leura, a small town located about 70 miles outside of Elsida. They were last seen in Fector Town back in November, but there have been no sightings since then. If you see them or think you have seen them, we urge you to call your local police. Now, for a description of the perpetrator. He is about 166cm in height and weighs approximately 52 kg. He is around 19 to 20 years of age."**

Eve scowled; storming back into the bathroom,

"Stupid."

~ø~

** "The young girl with him is 153cm tall and around 44kg. She has long blonde hair and pink eyes..."**

Leon scowled as he silently watched the screen; the lavender-haired woman beside him furiously typing away at her computer. He narrowed his eyes,

_'Eve...'_

Glancing over at the woman, he sighed in irritation and folded his arms,

"Is _he_ ready yet?"

Rinslet sighed, adjusting the mike on her headset,

"Not sure yet, kiddo. Why don't we ask him?"

~ø~

**"Train, are you guys ready yet? Little boy blue here is getting impatient."**

_**"Hey!"**_

The chestnut-haired man smirked at that; peeking cautiously into the building,

"Yeah...we're pretty much set. How's things on your end?"

**"So far, there's no sign of her. The waitress says she comes here every morning for coffee, though. What about you?"**

"We tailed him to a diner a few blocks away. I can't see much, but I think he's working here."

**"Really? Working at a diner?"**

"Yeah, pretty stupid of him, if you ask me. I sent _him_ in to see if he could find anything out."

**"Are you sure that was a good idea?"**

Train swallowed hard, a bead of sweat trailing down his face,

"Not really..."

~ø~

_"...but it's the only chance we've got at finding Little Princess."_

**"...and is around 17 to 18 years old. He has been holding her captive for about six months now. If sighted, civilians are warned to keep their distance. The bounty has been raised to $100,000."**

He sighed as he pulled his hair back into a half-ponytail; the bleached layers clinging to his neck. He gazed at the screen for a minute as the hostage'ssketch came up; a small smile tugging at his lips. He swallowed hard; lightly touching his fingertips to the picture,

"It's been awhile...huh? Almost two months."

The boy then shook his head; snorting at himself,

"Look at me...so pathetic. Talking to a television screen..."

"Yo, Satch'a! Custom'a at Table 3!"

Groaning, Merrick pushed himself up out of his chair and adjusted his apron,

"I'm on it!"

As he walked out into the front, the bearer of the voice growled angrily,

"And take out that damn lip ring! Ya know it makes the custom'as uneasy! How many times do I hafta tell ya--"

"All right, all right...jeez. Just shut up already, would you? You're givin' me a headache..."

"What was that? Did you just say you wanted me to LOW'A ya pay?"

Rolling his eyes, the boy ground his teeth together as he shoved the lip ring into his pocket,

"No, sir..."

"Good! I didn't think so! Now, get yo' ass ov'a to Table 3."

Shaking his head, the muddy-haired boy pulled a note pad and a pencil out of his pocket and trudged over to a table in the farthest corner of the shoddy diner. He spotted the customer and sighed. The man was fairly short and quite round. He had a bushy, black goatee and his thinning, raven hair swooped out to either side. The boy cleared his throat upon reaching the table; his voice monotone,

"Welcome to Joe's Bar and..."

He glanced over at the neon sign on the far left wall as it began to flicker and sighed; shaking his head,

"..._Girl_. What'll it be?"

"A double order of bacon and a short stack, thank you. With _extra_ butter."

Merrick inwardly cringed as he scribbled down the portly man's order,

"And what kind of syrup would you like? We have strawberry, apple, and maple."

"Why not all three of them?"

The boy felt his stomach begin to turn and he shook his head,

"And would you like anything to drink with that?"

"A tall glass of milk will be fine, thank you."

"That'll be all?"

"Yes."

Closing his notepad, he nodded shortly; forcing a smile to the man,

"All right. Your order will be ready in a few minutes."

"Thank you."

He then turned away and headed toward the back. The stocky customer quickly glanced around and pulled a walkie-talkie from his pants' pocket; his voice stern as they picked up on the other end,

"Yeah, it's me. I'm in the diner. It sure looks like our guy. The lip ring is missing, though...and he looks a little different with his hair pulled back, but I'm sure it's him."

**"Good. Keep an eye on him. If he leaves the restaurant, I'll follow."**

"You got it, Brother."

He quickly hid the device as the boy came back with a tray in his arm and smiled,

"Wow, that really _was_ quick!"

Merrick snorted, blowing some hair out of his face as it started to tickle his nose,

"Well, what do you expect? It's been sitting on a hot plate for five days."

"O-Oh..."

Sighing, Merrick brushed the hair from his face and forced another smile,

"Anything else I can get you?"

Swallowing hard, the customer shook his head; laughing nervously,

"N-Nothing right now. Thank you."

He started to walk away and the customer swallowed hard; a bead of sweat trailing down his face,

"U-Um, young man! Could you wait a minute? There's actually something I needed to ask..."

Raising an eyebrow, Merrick stepped back over to the table,

"Yeah? What?"

The man gulped again; his heart racing,

_'If this guy is as dangerous as they say...I'll be killed if I ask about Eve. What do I do...? Think Woodney, think!'_

"I-I was just wondering...what do you think about that pretty young girl who was kidnapped six months ago?"

~ø~

Train cursed softly; gritting his teeth together as he listened,

_'Dammit, what the hell is he doing?'_

**"I mean, that guy who took her was **_**so**_** vicious. There's **_**no**_** way she could be alive, right?"**

He tensed; placing a hand on his gun.

_**"You're wrong."**_

~ø~

Woodney straightened as the boy bowed his head. Merrick narrowed his eye; a heavy hollowness filling him,

"That girl...has a lot going for her. I'm sure that wherever she is, she's perfectly fine."

He smiled; forcing a laugh,

"That's just my opinion, anyway!"

He then sighed, reaching for his pen,

"Now, is there anything else I can get you--?"

"N-No! That'll be it. Thank you very much!"

He watched the boy disappear into the back again and stood; making a quick exit.

~ø~

Merrick sighed as he reached the kitchen and headed over to the pile of dishes at the sink. Silently, he grabbed a dirty plate and lathered it in soap. After a moment or two of scrubbing, the boy stopped and gazed at the water's reflection.

_'"E-Eve. What're you doing here?"'_

_'"I was worried...so I came looking for you."'_

_----_

_His eyes widened as she retracted her umbrella and threw her arms around him. He sighed deeply; his gaze lowering to the damp street,_

_"You didn't have to do that."_

_She held him tighter,_

_"I know," she began, a tear rolling down her cheek,_

_"I just wanted to make sure..."_

_----_

_'"....you'd come back."'_

The boy sighed deeply; shamefully bowing his head.

_PLIP._

He straightened as a small droplet hit the water filling the sink and frowned. Carefully placing a hand to his cheek, he wiped away a second tear that threatened to escape him. Then, with a deep breath, he quickly composed himself and began scrubbing furiously at the dishes,

_'Stop it. Just stop it. It's your fault for getting so close to her in the first place. You knew this would happen!' _

Shaking his head, he wiped his hands with a towel and started back for the front with the stocky customer's bill.

_'But...I wonder,' _he thought; his gaze locked on the floor as he walked,

_'What are you doing right now...Eve?'_

Merrick stepped back out from the kitchen and straightened; his eye widening as he spotted the empty table where his customer once sat. He swallowed hard; a bead of sweat trailing down his face,

"_Great._"

~ø~

Spotting Train in the bushes nearby, Woodney tensed; marching over to him,

"Brother, are you sure it's him? I mean...that kid. He didn't seem like the type--"

The chestnut-haired man stood silently; pushing him out of the way as he headed toward the alley beside the diner,

"No mistake. It's him all right."

Woodney stumbled back a few steps; quickly following after him,

"W-wait up!"

Train stopped as he reached a set of trash bins and crouched down behind them. His eyes narrowed as he spotted the muddy-haired boy coming out of the back of the diner; a garbage bag in his hand,

"It _was_ him. He was definitely the one who kidnapped Princess."

~ø~

Merrick sighed as he chucked the bag into the dumpster; shaking his head,

"I can't believe it. 'And just how the hell did we lose anoth'a custom'a, Satch'a? This is comin' outta yo' pay!' Ugh. At the rate I'm going, I'll never be able to afford a decent--"

He stopped short; his eye widening as a searing pain flashed through his brain. Grunting, he winced and spun around quickly; sensing someone behind him. A man with brown hair and a dusty, black jacket stood there silently. The man smiled,

"Hello."

In a flash, he had the boy pinned against the wall; his grip tightening around his throat. Merrick gasped; coughing shortly as the man pressed a pistol to his chin,

"Where is she?"

His golden eyes were narrowed into slits. The muddy-haired boy swallowed as best he could; grunting painfully,

"I don't know...what you're talking about--"

"Don't play dumb. The girl you're with. Where is she?"

"I'm not with _anyone_...currently. Just a bachelor...trying to make his way in the world--"

The man cocked his pistol and pushed it into the boy's skin,

"Unless you want a bullet in your brain, you'll stop with the games and tell me where you stashed her."

Merrick narrowed his eye; his teeth grinding together. This person looked oddly familiar somehow,

"And I'm telling you...I don't know what you're talking about--"

"Eve. Where is Eve?"

His heart stopped. That was it. This man...he remembered him now. He'd seen him once before when he and Eve had escaped Vista. This man was after her...but why? His eyes widened, and inwardly, he cursed,

_'Shit! I forgot all about him! This must be one of __**his**__ lackeys...looking for her so they can send her away to be poked and prodded at like some science project! Damn...!'_

"Well!?"

The boy snorted; smirking as he looked the man square in the eye,

"Like I'd ever tell _you_."

The man snarled; his grip around the boy's throat tightening. There was a cry from down the alley. It was the customer from the diner,

"W-Wait a minute, Brother! What are you going to do?"

"Isn't it obvious," the chestnut-haired man began; his deadly gaze set on the boy in his grasp,

"I'm gonna blow his brains out."

Merrick narrowed his eye as he watched him go for the trigger...

~ø~

Eve sighed as she stepped out of the hotel and started down the road. It had been a week since she'd arrived in Stock Town and she still had no leads on Sven's whereabouts. She hadn't seen Merrick anywhere, either. Scowling, the girl shook her head fiercely,

_'Why should I care where __**he**__ went, anyway? He's such a...he's just....!'_

She stopped walking for a moment; her head bowed in silence. No matter how hard she tried to deny it; she couldn't help it. Merrick. His smart ass comments. His horrid eating habits. She couldn't help but....miss him.

She let out a soft gasp as someone roughly bumped into her and stumbled backward; the sandy-haired man responsible growling angrily,

"Watch we're yer goin', kid."

Scowling, the girl glared after the man as he walked away; her blood beginning to boil,

_' You were the one who bumped into me, you jerk.'_

She then gasped softly and felt at her pocket. Sven's wallet; it was....gone!

Her eyes widened,

"Oh no!"

Raising her gaze, she spotted the man across the street. She caught him slipping the beaten wallet into his pocket. Her heart jumped in fright and she quickly rushed after him; letting out a shriek,

"Hey, you! Get back here!!"

The man spun around as he saw her charging and swallowed hard. He hastily took off; the petite blonde in hot pursuit.

~ø~

Jonas watched her silently from the building nearby; his sapphire eyes gleaming brightly behind his sunglasses,

"Perfect."

He turned to the man beside him; a look of confidence on his face,

"Be sure that you're ready. You may only have one shot at this."

The man was silent. Jonas then took out a cell phone and handed it to him,

"Here. Despite the damage made to the other phone, the GPS system remained intact so I had it placed into this one. Keep it on and Heartnet should easily be able to pick up your scent."

The man nodded and placed the device into his left pocket. They watched as Eve began to chase after the pick-pocket and Jonas smirked; adjusting his glasses,

"That's your cue."

"Yes."

Leaping across to the next building, the man followed after her silently; his lime green hair battering wildly beneath his beige fedora...

~ø~

Rinslet sighed as she sat at the café; Leon beside her. The boy growled; cracking his knuckles,

"Why hasn't he called yet?"

The lavender-haired woman sighed deeply; resting her cheek on her palm,

"Be patient, kid. He's probably still trying to get that _schmuck_ to break. Cracking people isn't as easy as cracking a safe, you know..."

She took a sip of her milkshake and sighed deeply,

"I just wish this part of the job was a little more exciting. Nothing seems to be happening around--"

Leon raised an eyebrow as she stopped mid-sentence and frowned,

"Are you okay?"

She was silent. Her eyes widened as she spotted the lime-haired man in the passing crowd and she stood,

_'No way...it can't be!'_

She hopped the gate surrounding the open café; Leon quickly following after her,

"Rinslet!"

As they hurried away, a man from a nearby table lowered his newspaper. His mahogany hair shimmered emerald in the sunlight and dark sunglasses cast his hazel eyes completely in shadow. He sighed as he pushed away from the table and stood; smirking a little,

"I suppose that's my cue."

Silently, he hurried after the pair, but made sure to keep his distance. If they were to spot him now, things might turn ugly...

~ø~

"This is your last chance, _kid_. Tell me where you've hidden her, and I'll let you live."

Merrick growled lowly; the bullet hole beside his head still smoking,

"I told you before...I'm not talking. So go ahead. _Shoot me_. I'll never tell you where she is..."

Train pressed the pistol to Merrick's forehead and the boy closed his eyes. It looked like he'd be meeting Blanchett sooner than he thought.

_CLATCH.._

He opened his eyes at the sound of clattering metal and frowned. The chestnut-haired man had slapped one handcuff to the boy's wrist and one to his own. Merrick straightened,

"Huh...?"

"What? Did you really think I was gonna kill you? Don't make me laugh!"

He jerked the boy to his feet,

"Like it or not, _kid_, you're _going_ to tell me where Eve is. Whether I have to drag you along with me all day or hang you by your toes."

The muddy-haired boy tensed and swallowed hard,

"And if I don't?"

"Trust me, kid. You don't want to know what I'll do to you should you keep her from me."

He then turned to Woodney and sighed,

"C'mon, let's go meet up with Rinslet. We have to find Princess before that Warren guy does."

"Right, Brother."

Merrick straightened; his eyes widening as they started walking,

_'Wait a minute...'Princess'? 'Warren guy'?'_

"Wait, then...you're _not_ with Jonas Warren?"

Train spun around; his eyes narrowing to deathly slits,

"How do _you_ know that name?"

Grabbing the boy by the throat, he again slammed the boy back against the wall; making him gag,

"If you know anything about him, you'll kindly share it... or this time I won't hesitate to kill you."

Merrick grunted; swallowing hard. Looking passed the threatening death glare in the man's eyes, he noticed something very peculiar. Was it...fear? Worry? Sadness? The boy gasped. That was it. Despite how menacing he looked, this man was no foe. He was actually...

"You...you're one of Eve's...guardians. Aren't you?"

Train straightened; his eyes widening in surprise...

~ø~

"Get back here!"

Eve chased after him down the alley; a bead of sweat trailing down her cheek,

_'He's fast!!'_

She sped up as he rounded the corner; calling after him frantically,

"Stop!!"

Quickly, she unclipped her hair; transforming a few sections into large hands,

"You won't get away!!"

Upon seeing this, the guy let out a loud shriek and threw the wallet to the ground,

"This ain't worth it!!"

He fled down the street in terror.

Gasping for air, she came to a stop and quickly picked the wallet up; holding it tightly. She placed it back in her pocket and sighed turning away,

"That was close. Now...which way is the café from here?"

She took a few glances around the scenery seeming vaguely familiar. She stopped as her eyes hit it; her stomach beginning to turn. Across the road lay a gorgeous church. A nearby sign told her this was Dawson Street.

It was then that she realised where she was.

~ø~

Rinslet huffed as she reached another dead end; Leon close behind her,

"Dammit! I was sure he went this way!"

The periwinkle-haired boy groaned; rolling his eyes,

"That's what you said the last _eight_ times we came down here."

"Shut up, would you!?"

"Miss Rinslet Walker, isn't it?"

The two straightened at the sound of another voice and glanced down the alley. Standing there was a man with long raven hair and sapphire eyes. He wore a black suit with a purple shirt and a yellow tie was fastened at his collar. She stepped forward; eyebrow raised curiously,

"You...you're Number X, aren't you? Lin Xiao Li?"

Li smiled warmly to her; his hands behind his back,

"I'm pleased you remember my name, Miss Walker. And you're Leon Elliot, aren't you? A former Apostle?"

The boy nodded shortly; his body tensing. This man's constant smiling was making him feel uneasy.

Rinslet shook her head; sighing deeply as she turned away,

"Well, it's nice seeing you, Li, but Leon and I have to get going. We're kind of in the middle of something, right now. Do you mind if we talked some other time?"

"Actually, I do."

She straightened; glancing back at him silently. His smile faded into a dark scowl and he drew Seiren. His voice was completely calm,

"Because you see, we won't get another chance to talk after today. Or at the very least..._you_ won't."

Leon cursed as the orichalcum ribbon suddenly came barrelling toward them and quickly threw up a wind barrier around Rinslet and himself. Seiren came to a stop as it hit said barrier and Li cursed silently; leaping into the air. He disappeared mid-leap and reappeared behind the pair; the boy tensing,

_'Dammit! I don't have time to--'_

He sent the ribbon sailing straight at Rinslet. Her eyes widened as it sped closer; aiming to lop her head clear from her shoulders.

_**SHING. SHING.**_

It came to a stop inches from her neck. She swallowed hard; frowning in confusion as she spotted what appeared to be glittering wires wrapped around it,

_'What the...?'_

"Hey there, beautiful! Miss me?"

She stepped back as he leapt down from the grated balcony above them; landing between her and Li. Her heart stopped as he pulled the wires tight; his taloned-glove sparkling in the sun,

"_J-Jenos_!?"

The mahogany-haired man glanced back at her with a wink and flashed her a toothy grin...

* * *

**A/N#2: SURPRISE!!!! :D  
**


	31. XXVII

**XXVII**

"What...did you say?"

The muddy-haired boy took a deep breath,

"It's true then, isn't it? That look on your face doesn't lie. You're Eve's other guardian...Taxi."

They both stared at each other for a moment. Then, with a growl, the chestnut-haired man shook him fiercely and roared at the top of his lungs,

"IT'S TRAIN, YOU IDIOT! MY NAME IS _TRAIN_!"

"Same _difference_!"

His eyebrow twitched violently as he glared at the boy; his fists tightly clenched,

"Okay. And who exactly was it that told you about me, huh?"

"Tim Vertical."

Train raised an eyebrow in surprise. Merrick glared him directly in the eye,

"He said that you would stop at nothing to get Eve back. You _and_ Sven."

~ø~

"Because you see, we won't get another chance to talk after today. Or at the very least..._you_ won't."

Leon cursed as the orichalcum ribbon came sailing toward them and quickly threw up a wind barrier around Rinslet and himself. Seiren came to a stop as it hit the barrier and Li cursed silently, leaping into the air. He disappeared mid-leap and reappeared behind the pair, Leon tensing,

_'Dammit! I don't have time to--'_

He sent the ribbon sailing straight at Rinslet. Her eyes widened as it sped closer; aiming to lop her head clear from her shoulders...

_**SHING. SHING.**_

It came to a stop inches from her neck. She swallowed hard; frowning in confusion as she spotted what appeared to be glittering wires wrapped around it,

_'What the...?'_

"Hey there, beautiful! Miss me?"

She stepped back as he leapt down from the grated balcony above them; landing between her and Li. Her heart stopped as he pulled the wires tight; his taloned-glove sparkling in the sun,

"_J-Jenos!?_"

The mahogany-haired man glanced back at her with a wink and flashed her a toothy grin,

"In the flesh, babe!"

Rinslet shook her head; her fists clenched at her sides as she gazed at him in shock,

"Bu-But I don't understand! How are you alive!?"

"I was just about to ask you the same question, _Number VII_."

Jenos smirked; his hair shining emerald in the light as he pulled the wires taut,

"Funny you should ask, because I'm wondering the same thing _myself_. I guess it's just my _destiny_. Lady Luck _has_ always tended to be on _my_ side, you know..."

Grinding his teeth angrily, Li jerked Seiren out of Excelion's grasp and leapt back from the man; narrowing his eyes,

"Well, then...you should be well aware of how _fickle _a lady she can be."

He grinned at that; flexing the glove with a snort,

"Oh, _believe _me, I am. I just don't see her turning her back on me anytime soon, that's all."

Jenos then glanced over his shoulder at Rinslet; his tone a serious one,

"Rins, you and the kid get out of here, now. I'll take care of this guy."

She shook her head and took a step forward; hand on her heart,

"What!? You can't be serious! He's--"

"He's a _Number_. He's in the same league as_ I _am. Trust me, I'll be okay."

Rinslet frowned; her heart beginning to pound,

"But--!?"

"I'll explain everything later," he began; turning away from her,

"Right now, Heartnet needs you. Something big is going down and I don't think he can take it on all by himself. Now, go, Rins! Don't make me repeat myself."

She hesitated a moment; sighing deeply as she turned away from him,

"Fine. But listen to me, you jerk. If you die, I swear...I'll kick your ass!"

He smiled as he heard the sound of her footsteps speeding along the concrete; the sound fading in a matter of minutes. When he was sure she had left, he turned his attention back to Number X; smirking wildly,

"Well?"

Li growled and charged toward him; Seiren at the ready...

~ø~

Eve took a deep breath as she cautiously stepped into the gorgeous white chapel. At first, she stayed close to the doorway. By the looks of it, the place was empty. Stepping in a bit further, she called out softly; her own voice echoing coldly back,

"Hello? Is anyone here?"

Glancing around, she swallowed hard. Everything looked the same. The red carpet. The beechwood pews. Nothing had changed. She glanced up at the glistening gold cross above the alter; her stomach churning anxiously.

_"Welcome."_

Gasping audibly, the girl jumped in surprise and glanced around frantically. She _knew_ that voice. She _loathed_ it. Her heart stopped in terror as she spotted the figure sitting at the front pew; his ghostly visage standing to greet her,

_"I've been waiting for you."_

She took a step back; her eyes widening. He pushed his glasses up; stepping out of the pew and down the aisle toward her,

_"So...something has been bothering me."_

She took another step back,

_'How...!? How can this be!? I thought...I thought Train had taken care of him!! It...it's not possible!!'_

He stopped a few feet away; sighing deeply,

_"Why does Train refuse to join me? Why do you think he can't abandon his work as a sweeper?"_

Raising his arm, he scowled; jabbing his index finger at her,

_"Isn't it because...of __**you**__?"_

She clenched her fists; frowning deeply,

_'This...this can't be real. Train stopped Creed years ago! So, why...what's going on--!?'_

_"In other words,"_ Creed began; pulling the hilt of a sword from the folds of his coat,

_"You make Train's __**new**__ life possible."_

She straightened as his glasses slid down his nose to reveal a pair of trecherous eyes,

_"If I were to kill you...would Train still be a sweeper?!"_

The girl's eyes widened in fear and she tensed; clenching her fists. It was then that _he_ caught her eye.

_"Why don't you get to the--"_

The blonde gasped as blood spiralled into the air; her eyes widening as he fell to his knees,

"Sven!"

The sounds of screams filled her ears then and she glanced around. There was no one else in the building. As she turned back to the memory unfolding in front of her, she gasped; Sven flying passed her in a blur. He hit the wall with a thud and slid down to the floor; leaving a long trail of blood in his wake. Creed's cackling filled her head and she clamped her hands over her ears. It did nothing. She could still hear him...in her mind. She watched him saunter over to the wounded man; his cackle shaking her heart with fear,

_"It seems to me," _he began; aiming his sword at Sven,

_"You can't properly control that power of yours."_

Gasping softly, she shook her head; her heart racing,

"N-No! This isn't real!! It's not--"

_"It's enough to wipe out his humanity."_

Her eyes widened as she watched the silhouette raise his pistol at Sven; his finger on the trigger. Squeezing her eyes shut, she let out a scream; tears streaming down her cheeks,

"Stop it!! STOP IT!!!"

"Eve, what's wrong!?"

The blonde gasped as she felt a strong hand press down on her shoulder and jumped. Morphing her arm into a blade, she whirled around; slicing a wrinkle-free, red tie in two. He jumped back; eye wide,

"Easy, easy!"

She stopped as he picked the bottom half of his tie up off the ground. He sighed; shaking his head,

"And this was my last tie, too. Oh, man! With all of the debt we're in, I can't possibly afford another one..."

Shoving his hand into his pocket; he pulled out a pack of cigarettes,

"Oh well. I guess I'll just have to sew this one back together. Either that or we can cut back on Train's dining habits. Guy eats enough to feed an entire third world country."

He paused before lighting it; noticing the tears glistening in her eyes,

"Hm? What is it, Eve? Is something wrong?"

She swallowed hard; looking him up and down. Lime-green hair. Cream-coloured suit. A metallic briefcase at his side. Was he real, or was he also a mirage; just a distant memory from years gone by?

"S-Sven? Is it really you?"

The man blinked curiously; then offered her a smile. With that, the girl let out a sob and ran to him as fast as her legs could carry her...

**"SVEN!!"**

~ø~

Train cursed as he ran down the dark backways; his teeth clenched tightly together. Dark clouds rumbled overhead; each mountainous peak filled to the brim with water. He felt a soft droplet hit his skin; his eyes narrowing.

_'"'Sven, too', huh? So, you think you know anything about it!? Where the hell do you get off talking about my partner--!?"'_

_'"Eve told me everything!"'_

_----_

_The muddy-haired boy stared back at him sternly; his eyes narrowed,_

_"She told me that he was her guardian...and that he disappeared four years ago without a trace. She said she wanted to go look for him, but __**someone**__ wouldn't let her. I'm assuming that someone was you."_

_He scowled at the boy; his eyes burning with rage,_

_"That's none of your business."_

_"You're wrong. It __**is**__ my business!"_

_He shoved the chestnut-haired man away from him; the pull of the handcuffs jerking him forward a little,_

_"I don't know what you think you've heard...but Eve __**hired**__ me to help her find Sven because nobody else would! She was tired of waiting around for you to get your head out of your ass and let her go with you! She wants to find Sven just as badly as you do!! Don't you get that!?"_

_The man clenched his fists tightly,_

_"Of course, I do. I left her behind because I care about her! I didn't want her to get hurt--"_

_"It seems to me that she was more hurt by the fact that you left her."_

_The muddy-haired boy silenced. Train sighed deeply and motioned to the portly man beside him,_

_"Woodney. Go to the café and wait with Rinslet. There's something I need to do."_

_Woodney swallowed hard upon seeing the deadly look in the man's eyes and nodded shortly,_

_"O-Okay."_

_He then turned and hurried back for the main road. Turning back to Merrick, the chestnut-haired man scowled,_

_"How do I know you're not lying to me?"_

_The boy narrowed his eye; defiantly meeting Train's gaze,_

_"I'll admit that I'm no angel, but I care about Eve just as much as you do. Do you honestly think I would lie to you about something like that?"_

_He straightened. This boy...there was something in his eye. Something that reminded him of someone else he knew..._

_----_

_'I don't understand,' _Train though as he raced down the road,

_'Why does this punk remind me of--'_

There was a hard tug at his arm and the man growled; his eyebrow twitching as he glanced back at the stumbling boy,

"Could you stop tripping, already? It's really starting to get on my nerves!"

"Well, if you bothered to slow down a little, maybe I wouldn't keep tripping! I can't keep up with you dragging me like this!"

The chestnut-haired man groaned and rolled his eyes,

_'I take it back. Sven was never THIS whiny.'_

The boy groaned as they reached the next street and stopped; Train turning to him,

"All right, kid. Which way?"

"How the hell should _I_ know!? I told you I don't know where she is!"

Train scowled at him and sighed; reaching into his pocket,

"_Right_..."

He retrieved something from his pocket; the boy raising his eyebrow at it,

"What's that?"

"Tweezers," the chestnut-haired man began; an evil smirk crossing his lips,

"To pluck your toenails off one by one...until you tell me where Princess is."

The boy stared at him blankly,

"You're kidding, right?"

"Train!!"

Both glanced up at the shout of his name and Merrick frowned. An odd pair of persons was running quickly toward them. One was a boy with blue hair and the other was a very endowed woman with lavender hair. Train straightened as they finally came to a stop and raised a curious eyebrow,

"Rins? Leon? Why aren't you two at the café?"

The lavender-haired woman gasped shortly; placing a hand on her heart as she bent over,

"Ch-Check your GPS...!"

"My GPS? What for--?"

"Because," she began; trying hard to catch her breath,

"I SAW Sven!!"

His eyes widened and hurriedly, he whipped out his phone. Sure enough, a small, green dot pulsated evenly on the GPS grid.

~ø~

Eve threw her arms around him; sobbing harshly into his chest. Sven straightened; frowning in concern,

"Eve--"

"Why!?"

Her voice crackled as she continued; burying her face in his coat,

"When Train came back to the room and said you had disappeared...I thought...I thought I'd never see you again!! It's been so long. Where were you, Sven? Why did you go!? _Why_...!?"

He bowed his head shamefully as she continued to sob,

"Eve..."

~ø~

"So, who's the punk?"

Rinslet huffed; running alongside Train as fast as she was able. Merrick's eyebrow twitched at her remark, but he refrained from speaking. Train sighed,

"He's the idiot who kidnapped Princess."

"Really? He looks like a twig..."

Leon's eyes widened at that and he glared down at the boy from his hover board; his blood beginning to boil,

"Eve's kidnapper?"

He narrowed his eyes. The muddy-haired boy swallowed hard. He could feel the blue-haired boy's deadly glare on the back of his neck and it sent chills down his spine,

_'I'm so dead...!'_

The lavender-haired woman gasped as she almost lost her footing; but picked herself up again,

"So, where do you think he's taken her, then?"

"I dunno," Train began, yanking the handcuffs a bit,

"The brat won't tell me. I'm sure wherever she is, though, she's fine! Right now, I wanna check out Sven's GPS signal...and make sure what you saw was real. I don't want to get Princess' hopes up if this is just another dead end..."

The muddy-haired boy gasped as a sharp pain suddenly shot through his brain and he cursed; gritting his teeth. Train stopped as they reached the corner and turned back to him; eyebrow raised in confusion,  
"What the hell's _your_ problem?"

Merrick's eyes widened. He could see a church...

_----_

_'"Let's go home now, okay? Sven?"'_

_'"Sven...is it really you?"'_

_'"Please...! Please, don't hurt him!!"'_

_'"If you don't come with me willingly...I'll take you by force."'_

_'"PRINCESS!!"'_

_**SHLINK.**_

_----_

He tensed as the sequence ended; his head still stinging with pain,

"N-No..."

"Hm," the chestnut-haired man began, noting how pale the boy had become,

"What's got you so spooked?"

"Eve."

He turned to Train; a look of terror in his eyes,

"We have to find her. _Now_."

~ø~

Eve gasped softly as she felt his arms close around her and she glanced up at him; tears streaming down her cheeks. He smiled warmly,

"I'm sorry I worried you. I know it must've been painful for you to be alone all this time."

She smiled back; quickly wiping away her tears as she pulled away from him,

"It's okay. You're here, now...and that's all that really matters."

Grabbing his hand, she smiled up at him,

"Let's go home now, okay? Sven?"

~ø~

"What do you mean _we_ have to find her," Rinslet shouted to them as they ran,

"Don't you already know where she is!?"

"No," the muddy-haired boy growled in retort,

"We parted ways in Champais. I didn't even know that we were in the same town until you nabbed me!!"

"How do we know you're not just taking us to your hideout?"

Leon scowled. Merrick silenced; bowing his head. He couldn't just out right tell them about _it_, could he? Not that these people would believe him if he _did_ tell them, anyway. An ability such as _that_ was not a common occurrence; let alone a believable one. Not to mention, he was a hardened criminal in their eyes.

"He's not."

He straightened and glanced over at Train in surprise. The man's gaze was directed forward,

"You told me before, didn't you, kid? You've made a lot of mistakes in your life...but you would never want Eve to be hurt because of them. Am I right?"

The boy nodded; smiling slightly,

"Y-Yeah."

"You remind me of someone else I know...someone else who cared about Eve more than life itself, " he began; the image of a man with lime-green hair entering his mind. He then sighed; shrugging,

"Too bad you're a total sleaze. If not for that, I might actually have thought you a respectable human being. Guess it just wasn't meant to be."

Merrick glared at him silently; his eyebrow twitching in annoyance. As the group rounded the corner, the boy pulled back on the handcuffs and came to a halt,

"There!"

He pointed to a large, white chapel across the street,

"She's over there! In that church!"

Leon raised a suspicious eyebrow at him; scowling,

"I thought you said you didn't know where she was."

"I-I don't," the boy stuttered; his head stinging in pain,

"I can't explain it. I-I just...I feel it! She's over there! In the church!"

Rinslet straightened as she gazed at it; her voice softening to a near whisper,

"Hey, Train? Isn't that....?"

Train straightened as he caught sight of it.

_'"I felt someone watching me back at the plaza...I expected it to be someone from Chronos."'_

----

_He glared at the emerald-haired woman and tensed,_

_"It was Creed, though. He's alive."_

_"Of course," she began; smiling at his visible worry,_

_"He's waiting for you at the church on Dawson."_

_Train narrowed his eyes; quickly hurrying past her. She chuckled suddenly,_

_"Oh...and you might want to hurry."_

_He turned silently; glaring back at her in anger._

_She didn't bother to look at him as she continued,_

_"Sven...is running out of time."_

_--_

_**BLAM!**_

_--_

_He winced as the bullet tore into his wrist._

_"You never change, do you?"_

_He glanced over at Eve; the half-terrified, half-shocked look on her face making him seethe. A few beads of sweat ran down his face and he turned his angered gaze to a startled Creed,_

_"You can't help yourself...you have to drag everyone else in."_

_"Train Heartnet!"_

_Echidna seemed royally shocked to see him standing there. __**That**__ made him happy._

_Creed took a step back; his body trembling slightly,_

_"Er-- oh my...! T-Train...what have you done?"_

_" Every time I see you, it's the same," he began; clenching his fist tightly,"_

_"You always...PISS ME OFF!!!"_

_He swung a hard right and slammed his fist into the silver-haired man's cheek. Creed tumbled to the ground; Echidna crying out to him,_

_"Creed!"_

_Shaking out his fist, he smirked,_

_"Hmph."_

_"T-Train...you--"_

_He turned to the lime-haired man behind him; raising an eyebrow. Leaning down, he stared at the man for a minute; Sven straightening in confusion,_

_"What? What is it?!"_

_After a moment or two, he let out an exhaggerated sigh and turned away from him; placing a hand to his head in shame,_

_"Totally NOT what I was expecting. I expected you to hold your own for a LITTLE while. I guess you've gotten kind of rusty, huh?"_

_"Hey, whose fault is it that I got dragged into this?!"_

_----_

He tensed as he gazed at the building and swallowed hard,

_'That place... Even before Sven disappeared; she had nightmares about it. She hates it there! Why the hell would she be here?'_

Glancing down at his phone, his eyes widened. Leon noticed the change in his disposition and frowned,

"What is it?"

He gazed at the phone; his grip around it tightening,

"Sven's signal. It's coming from over there as well."

The lavender-haired woman straightened as he snapped his phone shut and shoved it in his pocket,

"What are you gonna do?"

_CLATCHINK-CHINK._

Merrick gasped as he watched Train release himself from the handcuffs. The man then dragged him over to a nearby light post and silently attached him to it. The muddy-haired boy cursed and tried to wriggle free,

"Wha...What the hell--!?"

"Thanks for your help, kid, but the fact of the matter is you're just as dangerous to Eve as Jonas Warren. On top of that, you're a flight risk. If you think I'm just gonna let your hundred grand bounty slip through my fingers because you helped us find Li'l Princess, then think again."

He then turned and started across the street; Rinslet and Leon following close behind him. Merrick cursed as he tugged at the handcuffs; his heart beginning to race,

"Wait! You don't know what you're doing!! It's not what you think--"

Another searing pain. Falling to his knees, the boy grunted and gazed at the sidewalk. This time he could see inside the church. Sure enough, there stood Eve. She took the hand of a man wearing a grey suit and a yellow tie. She was smiling. The boy cursed,

_'No! Dammit, Eve, no!!'_

~ø~

The four of them stopped as they reached the door; Train taking a deep breath,

"Well, here goes..."

He reached for the door handle.

"Wait."

The chestnut-haired man straightened as Rinslet grabbed his arm and turned to her; frowning in confusion,

"What if this is a trap?"

Train sighed; slumping a little,

"That is a possibility."

The woman bowed her head.

"Then again, maybe it's not. Maybe Sven and Princess really _are_ in there. Maybe they're not. It's a risk I'm going to have to take...if I want my partners back. If I want my _friends_ back..."

He glanced back at the periwinkle-haired boy behind them,

"Leon, you watch after Rins, okay? Make sure she stays out of trouble."

Leon nodded shortly,

"WHAT!? What do you mean, _'watch her'_!? I only came because I wanted to help Eve! Don't make me wait out here guarding this old hag--!"

"Just do it,_ Leon_!"

Train scowled; turning toward the boy,

"Trust me. Just stay here with Rins. When I need you, you'll know."

The blue-haired boy scowled. Upon hearing a soft growl behind him, he raised an eyebrow and turned to Rinslet. The woman had dark aura around her and fire seemed to be burning in her eyes,

"What was that about an _old hag_, you little brat?"

Feeling himself go cold, he spun around as the chestnut-haired man threw open the church doors and quickly stepped inside,

"W-Wait! You can't leave me out here with her!! _Hey_!!"

~ø~

"Let's go home now, okay? Sven?"

Eve took a few steps forward; gasping softly as he pulled his hand away from her. She turned back to him; raising a confused eyebrow,

"What's wrong?"

He stared at her blankly.

The blonde straightened as she heard a loud bang and spun around; the doors to the church slamming open behind her.

In the glowing door way stood a man with chestnut-coloured hair and golden eyes. She gasped softly,

"Train!"

Behind him a boy with blue hair was being strangled by a busty woman with purple hair. Train smiled to the girl; a sigh of relief escaping him,

"Looks like I finally found you...Li'l Princess."

His eyes then caught the lime-haired man standing behind her and he straightened; falling into shock. He remained silent. Was he real? He certainly looked real. But...was it even possible?

_'"Warren is after her. If he gets to her, I don't know what he'll do. You have to find her before he does, Train! If you don't..."'_

_'"What did you do to Sven!?"'_

_'"__Has it finally sunk in, Mr. Heartnet?"'_

_'"If what you've implied is true...that you're dodging my attacks because you can see them ahead of time...then that could only mean that Sven..."'_

"It...It can't be...can it?"

He took a cautious step forward. He wanted to believe it, but he just couldn't be sure. Were his eyes lying to him?

"Sven,"Train began, his eyes wide in shock,

"Is it really you?"

The lime-haired man stared at him blankly. Eve glanced up at him; frowning slightly. Something was wrong.

Without a word, he slowly raised his briefcase to eye level and activated the machine gun function. Train raised an eyebrow as the man aimed it in his direction and tensed,

"Sven?"

Sven narrowed his eye.

_**RAT-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TAT.**_

* * *

**A/N: OH NOEZ! :d**


	32. XXVIII

**A/N: I suppose this is due for an update -looks at date-... yeah. It is. Sorry for the wait everybody! And even more sorry that it's a short one! I just couldn't think of how to lengthen the chapter...-sigh- **

* * *

**XXVIII**

"Sven...is it really you?"

The lime-haired man stared at him blankly. Eve glanced up at him; frowning slightly. Something was wrong.

Without a word, he slowly raised his briefcase to eye level and activated the machine gun function. Train raised an eyebrow as the man aimed it in his direction and tensed,

"Sven?"

Sven narrowed his eye.

_**RAT-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TAT.**_

The chestnut-haired man quickly darted out of the way as a barrage of bullets sailed right toward him; Eve screaming in confusion,

"Sven!?"

He followed Train's movements with quick precision; even following him up the walls. Train cursed as he came to the windows; a bullet snagging his leg...

~ø~

Leon grunted as bullets came flying through the door and shoved Rinslet out of the way; jumping back,

"Move!"

The lavender-haired woman shrieked as she hit the ground and quickly covered her head,

"What's going on!?"

~ø~

Merrick cursed as the sound of gunfire rang through the air and clenched his fists tightly. He turned his gaze to his right hand and grinned. In his palm lay a small, silver key.

_'It's a good thing I swiped this from his pocket...'_

_----_

_Train then dragged him over to a nearby light post and silently attached him to it. The muddy-haired boy cursed and tried to wriggle free,_

_"Wha...What the hell--!?"_

_"Thanks for your help, kid, but the fact of the matter is you're just as dangerous to Eve as Jonas Warren. On top of that, you're a--blah blah blah..." _

_He narrowed his eyes; the man's movements suddenly seeming to slow drastically. Carefully, he reached his hand into the man's jacket and pulled out a pair of keys. A bead of sweat ran down his face. Train didn't seem to notice..._

_----_

The boy grinned as he gazed down at the key in his hand,

"Now, to get out of these cuffs..."

~ø~

The chestnut-haired man fell to the floor with a loud thud; stained glass falling down around him like rain.

Eve gasped, gazing at the broken window in disbelief,

"Wh-Why....?"

She then turned her frightened gaze to Sven; swallowing hard. His expression was so blank. He didn't even look like himself.

Train grunted as he rose to his feet, the wound oozing with blood as he rose,

"Nice shot...._partner_."

Eve gasped; eyeing the bullet in his thigh,

"Train...!"

Slowly rising to his feet; he readied his gun,

"I should've known...such a cheap disguise. You don't even _feel_ the same."

With a sly grin, the golden-eyed man met his former partner's gaze,

"You're good, though, I'll give you that. You've even got Princess fooled. But there's no way a heartless bastard like you...could be the _real _Sven."

Sven growled softly and stepped toward him. He stopped as Eve grabbed him by the arm. He glanced down at her coldly. Her eyes held a great deal of fear and confusion. Shaking her head, Eve held tight to his arm; her voice shaking,

"Sven...what are you doing?"

He stared at her silently for a moment. His expression softened,

"Eve..."

The girl relaxed a little as he turned to her and smiled.

_SLAM._

She doubled over in pain as he pulled his fist away from her gut and fell to the floor; her eyes wide. Sven straightened, glaring down at her coldly,

"Do not interfere."

Train tensed as she hit the ground; his heart racing in fear and confusion,

"PRINCESS!!"

Narrowing his eye, Sven leapt toward Train. He gasped as the lime-haired man chased him across the room. Upon reaching the wall, he stopped drawing his pistol,

"Don't move!"

Sven halted immediately. Train swallowed hard,

"Come any closer and I'll shoot."

"But you won't shoot to _kill_ me."

The lime-haired man chuckled softly; stepping closer. Train took a deep breath and placed a finger firmly on the trigger.

_'"Train, listen! I don't want you coming after me understand!?"'_

_'"But Sven, why--?"'_

He narrowed his eyes and aimed the gun at Sven's head.

Eve gasped as she rose up on her hands; tears welling in her eyes,

"No...Train, don't!"

The chestnut-haired man swallowed hard as his friend drew closer. He ground his teeth together.

_'"Warren is after her. If he gets to her, I don't know what he'll do. You have to find her before he does, Train. If you don't...!"'_

The girl shook her head; her body wracked with sobs,

"You can't!! Train, _please_!! Please don't hurt him!!"

Sven smirked and pulled a pistol out his coat;

"What's the matter? Can't pull the trigger?"

He cocked it without a second thought; a malicious grin crossing his lips,

"Shoot. It's the only chance you've got to stop me. Unless, you don't have the resolve, that is..."

Train narrowed his eyes. This man was not Sven. This man _couldn't_ be Sven. So, then why...why was this so difficult?

Sven's grin widened as he noticed the man's resolve beginning to weaken,

"Well?"

The man cursed softly; his finger squeezing dangerously at the trigger.

_**BANG!**_

~ø~

"GAH!"

Jenos staggered backward as Seiren took another chunk out of his flesh. Falling down to one knee, the beaten man coughed and clamped a hand to his bleeding neck,

"Man, that was close...you almost got my jugular."

"Believe me," Li began; Seiren dancing about him like a snake,

"I _know_."

Pulling himself to his feet, the mahogany-haired man smirked and flexed Excelion,

"Then, why not try again? Maybe you'll actually _come close _this time."

The raven-haired man narrowed his steely, sapphire eyes,

"You'll regret provoking me, _Number VII. _Not that you'll live long enough to _feel _it..."

Jenos grinned,

"Oh, c'mon now, Li. Would you really _kill_ an old friend?"

The man remained silent as he sent Seiren forward; Jenos tensing in response. The orichalcum ribbon did not fly at him, however. Instead, it sailed upward toward the sky. Jenos frowned; raising an eyebrow at him curiously,

"And that was supposed to do_ what _exactly?"

_CREAK._

He turned his gaze up after Seiren; his eyes widening,

_'The balcony!'_

The grated balcony above him groaned as it detached from the wall and crashed to the ground; seemingly crushing him beneath it.

Li remained silent as he waited for the dust to settle; drawing back his weapon. He gazed into the cloud for a bit; seeing no movement whatsoever. When the dust finally cleared, he spotted it. From underneath the rubble, a pool of blood began to grow.

He sighed deeply,

"Well... it looks like that's the end."

Li then turned away from the pile and started down the alley,

"You fought well, Number VII...but I'm afraid it wasn't good enough. If you'll excuse me."

The pile made no response. Bowing his head, the raven-haired man quietly took his leave...

~ø~

Eve gasped as Train stumbled back; hand clasped to the right of his chest,

"Oh no!"

He winced; his pistol falling to his side as he shamefully lowered his gaze,

_'I...I can't do it.'_

Sven let out an eerie cackle as the golden-eyed man fell to his knees and glared down at him triumphantly; his pistol smoking,

"I knew you couldn't pull the trigger. You're so pathetic, Train."

Train gasped as a sharp pain suddenly errupted through his shoulder and he sailed backward; forcefully hitting the wall. A scream escaped Eve and she stood; her eyes wide in terror,

"TRAIN!!"

Glancing down, Train's heart stopped. He was pinned there by a long, silvery blade. Following the blade down the aisle; his heart stopped. It was attached to Sven's arm_**--**_no, it _WAS_ Sven's arm! He grinned. Train cursed lowly,

"You...you bastard."

The lime-haired man remained silent.

"What a _charming _reunion."

Glancing to his right, the chestnut-haired man stopped; his eyes widening in shock,

"N-No...that's not possible..."

Jonas Warren smirked as he stepped down from the altar and headed down the aisle toward Eve,

"Are you really _that_ surprised, Heartnet? Why, I expected a man of your calibre would've been able to tell your _real _partner from a _fake _one. I suppose I was mistaken..."

Train grit his teeth together; his fists clenching painfully as blood trickled down his arm,

"What are you talking about...!? What the hell is going on here!?"

The steely-eyed man came to a halt a few feet from the blonde and sighed; adjusting his glasses,

"Isn't it obvious?"

He turned toward Train; a triumphant gleam in his eye,

"You see, Heartnet...

Eve's eyes widened as the man snapped his fingers and watched in silent horror as Sven withdrew his blade from the chestnut-haired man's shoulder. He then reared back and slammed Train in the face with it; sending him flying across the room. A long slash appeared on Train's cheek. He pushed himself up slowly; his eyes widening Sven's shadow appeared over him. Gritting his teeth, he whirled around and fired a shot at him. The bullet sent his hat flying, but the lime-haired man did not flinch. Train straightened. Sven's eye...was completely void of emotion. A wild grin crossed Warren's lips...

_"Sven Vollfied...is no longer the man you used to know."_

~ø~

Merrick took a deep breath and grunted as he fumbled with the lock; his breath halting,

"Almost...there!"

It was at that inopportune moment that a searing pain drove it's way through his mind and he let out a loud yelp; falling to his knees. He squeezed his eyes shut and took sharp, deep breaths. The pain was excruciating. He leaned down low; sweat beading off of his face as the pain continued. His eyes shot opened as a horrifying image flashed through his mind.

A beautiful girl with flowing blonde hair was lying motionless on the ground; blood pooling all around her. He could hear the sounds of distant screaming and Train's voice desperately called out to her,

_'"PRINCESS!!"'_

A man stepped over her, then; a man with lime-green hair and a cream-coloured suit. He was covered in blood....and smiling.

Merrick shook his head; his body completely frozen,

"But I...I don't understand. That's Sven, right? Why would he want...to hurt Eve?"

~ø~

Train gazed silently up at the man; his eyes wide. He couldn't believe it. He didn't _want_ to believe it. But it was true...there was no way around it. The truth was...this man was....

"My God, Sven...what the hell did he do to you?"

Sven remained silent. Jonas let out a chilling laugh,

"So, it finally sunk in, did it?"

He snapped his fingers again; Sven turning to face him,

"_Sven_...do you remember what we talked about earlier?"

Eve's heart halted as she gazed at the lime-haired man; a bead of sweat streaming down her face. His response left her chilled.

"Yes."

Jonas smirked; glaring at Train over the rims of his glasses,

"Then proceed."

"Yes, sir."

He turned back to Train; staring at him silently for a moment. The chestnut-haired man gasped as the man suddenly reached down and grabbed him by the throat. He gagged as Sven then lifted him up off the ground; his feet barely scraping the floor. Grabbing hold of Sven's arm, Train winced; gasping for air,

"Sven.....don't....!"

In response, the man tightened his grip. Eve clenched her fists; her voice crackling with each shout,  
"Sven, stop it!! You'll kill him!!"

Train gasped as the man's grip continued to tighten around his throat. She shook her head; her entire body shaking as she called to him,

"Sven!! Sven, don't you remember!? _'We each decide how to live our lives'. _That's what _you_ told me!"

Her nails dug into her palms as she continued; tears streaming down her fair cheeks,

"You're your own person!! He has no right to own you!! _Please_, Sven! You_ have _to remember--!!"

"It's no use."

Eve spun around; scowling as Jonas smirked at her,

"The man you once knew is gone forever, Miss Eve. He is completely under my control."

She turned her gaze back to Sven. His strangle hold on Train was fast becoming tighter. If things continued like this, then Train would...

"The reason you're doing this," Eve began; her heart pounding madly in her chest,

"Is because you're after me....isn't it? You want to study me...and use me for your research?"

Jonas simply smirked. Turning to him, the girl took a deep breath,

"If I go with you, will you let them go? Will you let both Sven and Train go??"

Her ruby eyes were pleading as she silently waited for his answer.

He laughed softly; offering her a smile.

_**"Why...of course, Miss Eve."**_


	33. XXIX

**A/N: W00T! Anoth'a chaptah within tha week! Why am I typing like that? Oh lawdy....**

* * *

**XXIX**

"If I go with you, will you let them go? Will you let both Sven and Train go??"

Eve looked to him; her eyes pleading silently for an answer. Jonas laughed softly; offering her a smile,

"Why... of course, Miss Eve."

The girl swallowed hard and she again glanced over at Sven and Train. The chestnut-haired man gasped as he looked to her; his voice a choked whisper,

"Prin...cess....don't....!"

She bowed her head. She couldn't just do nothing, and if this was the only way to save them....

Train weakly raised his gun to shoot the man, but another sudden squeeze caused him to drop it. It clattered to the floor; drawing Eve's back to attention. She took a step back and Warren sighed; silently snapping his fingers. Like a dog obeying its master's command, Sven released Train immediately and started over to Jonas. The chestnut-haired man gasped loudly as he hit the ground; coughing violently.

Jonas stepped aside as Sven approached them; the blank expression on the man's face turning into a smile. He extended his hand to Eve,

"Come with me, Eve."

She took another step back and pulled her hand close to her chest. Train grunted as he pushed himself up onto his arms and cursed; gasping painfully,

"_Princess..._!"

Glancing up from his hand, Eve swallowed hard; her eyes glistening brightly. His smile...it was so warm. Just like she remembered it. But in his eye...there was something wrong. Something _dead_. She bit her lip,

_'Sven...'_

Her mind went back to the moment she last saw him four years ago. He was standing at the bottom of the stairs; the dying sunlight giving him a soft glow. His eye had shimmered brightly, then; so full of life. Not like now. The man before her was not that same man anymore. But maybe, just maybe...

_'If I do this...maybe I can save you. I want to save you...! Sven...'_

His distant smile stayed constant in her mind as she took a deep breath and reached for his hand...

~ø~

"I don't get it..."

Merrick began; wide eyes gazing straight at the ground,

"I thought...I thought Sven was supposed to be Eve's guardian. I thought he'd want her to be _safe_. So then, why...why would he hurt her!?"

**I wouldn't.**

The boy gasped; quickly jumping to his feet,

_'What the...!? That voice!!'_

**Save her.**

Merrick straightened as he spotted _him_ on the sidewalk just a few feet away. He stared at _him_ silently for a moment; then shook his head,

"How...how are you--?"

**That doesn't matter.**

_He_ said abruptly. Merrick's bangs battered wildly in the breeze; uncovering his concealed eye. _His_ image stayed still; uneffected by the wind. _He_ sighed deeply. _His_ expression looked so sad.

**She's all that matters, now.** **Save her...**

Merrick bowed his head as _he_ continued; swallowing hard.

**...**_**please**_**.**

He silenced for a moment; the wind blowing harder around him. A series of images flashed through his head and he ground his teeth together. Eve was crying.

_'"Y-You idiot!! Why!? Why did you do that!?!"'_

With a deep breath, the boy straightened and gazed at the empty spot where Sven had once stood.

"Of course I will. No matter what happens..."

~ø~

_'"I'll protect her...even if it costs me my own life! I won't let anything happen to Eve. I promise."'_

"Come with me, Eve."

Silently, the girl slowly reached for his hand.

_'Sven...'_

Train grunted as he watched; desperately trying to rise to his feet,

"_Princess..._"

She glanced up at Sven; hesitating a moment,

_'I can save you....I know I can. Just like you saved me...'_

She placed her hand in his.

_'I promise, I'll save you!'_

Train's eyes widened as Eve took hold of Sven's hand; his heart halting in his chest,

"NO, PRINCESS!"

She gasped as the church doors suddenly blew open behind her and spun around. In the doorway stood a boy with soft blue hair and angry scarlet eyes. He snarled; his fists clenched tightly at his sides as he stepped inside,

"You're not going _anywhere_ with her...not as long as I'm around!!"

Jonas raised an eyebrow at the boy and smirked; laughing softly,

"Oh? Is that so...?"

Eve straightened as he headed toward them; her heart beginning to race,

"Leon!"

A soft gasp escaped her as Sven pulled her behind him. He then walked forward to meet the periwinkle-haired boy. Leon narrowed his eyes as he glared at Sven; his body tensing,

"You trying to stop me?"

The lime-haired man made no reply.

Leon growled as he kicked up the air around him; his hair fluttering wildly about his face,

"I won't let you take her...so outta my way."

Rinslet straightened as she stepped into the doorway; her eyes wide as she caught sight of Sven. The man...something was different about him. She could feel a wave of hostility coming from him and she swallowed hard,

_'That guy....there's no way....!'_

Spotting Train on the floor, the lavender-haired woman gasped and called out to him,

"Train!"

Leon snarled at Sven's silence and took another step forward; sending a gust of wind directly at him,

"I said outta my way, _old man_!"

Sven narrowed his eye as the gust barrelled toward him and he brought up an arm. Morphing it into a blade, he cut through the air; easily dispelling the little squall.

Returning to an upright postion, the man was silent for a moment. A smirk then flashed across his face and he charged forward; disappearing a few feet from the boy. Leon cursed and quickly jumped onto his hoverboard; flying upward. He grinned; snorting triumphantly as Sven reappeared where he'd once been standing,

"Looks like someone's out of touch."

Sven scowled as the boy continued; his eye gaining a deadly gleam,

"What's the matter? Am I too fast for you?"

Without a word, he raised an arm toward the boy and morphed it into a blade. Leon readied a wind barrier to counter whatever the man had to throw at him. His eyes widened as Sven again disappeared and he frowned,

"Where'd he go this ti--?"

That's when he sensed it. The boy turned slightly as Sven reappeared directly behind him; his eyes widening,

_'What the--!?!'_

A quick blow to the neck was all it took.

_**THWACK.**_

The boy grunted as he fell forward; his vision beginning to blacken,

_'I...I don't get it...! He broke my barrier.....how did....he....?'_

He caught a glimpse of Sven's face as he fell to the ground; his heart stopping. The face that man wore...was not that of Sven Vollfied.

_'That's....!!'_

He hit the floor hard and ceased movement; his hoverboard crashing into a nearby row of pews. Eve's horrified face was the last thing he saw before it all went black. She let out a scream and started toward him,

"LEON!"

Sven landed between them and she gasped; taking a step back. Her eyes widened in terror as he turned to her. She took another step back as he extended his hand to her again; his expression unchanging,

"Come."

Train groaned as he pushed himself to his feet; hand clasped to his wounded shoulder,

"Princess, run!! Get out of here, now!"

The blonde straightened; pulling her hands close to her heart. She could hear him calling out to her, but found herself paralysed to do anything about it. Train's words...they made a lot of sense, but...

_'"Promise me you'll be careful."'_

She gasped; her eyes widening at the distant sound of _his_ voice.

_'"Don't take unnecessary risks. If you get hurt, or even scared...don't think twice, just run."'_

As she gazed up at Sven, a memory came to her. A memory of four years ago...when she, Train, Sven, and the sweeper's alliance had infiltrated Creed's island hideout. Two of the other sweepers, Mundock and Fudou...had been controlled by nanomachines. She straightened. That was it!

_'Nanomachines...Sven's being controlled by nanomachines!'_

A small smile crossed her lips and she looked to the lime-haired man before her; a gleam of confidence in her eye,

"Sven...I _will_ save you. And now I know..."

Slowly, her hair began to rise behind her. She clenched her fists and crouched down into a fighting stance; the strands beginning to sparkle as they rose above her head,

"...exactly how to do it!"

The strands suddenly formed separate fists and she leapt forward.

Jonas cursed softly as the girl charged at Sven; the lime-haired man effortlessly evading her attack,

_'That little fool...!'_

She spun around as Sven raised his blade to slash her and quickly morphed her arm into a shield. Knocking his arm away, she rammed her hair fists into his stomach and chest; sending him flying. She quickly tore after him,

_'I'll have to weaken him a little before I can try it. I'll have to catch him off guard in order to use my nanomachines on him...'_

Eve chased him to the altar; forming her hair into one huge fist. Swinging a second time, she missed as he darted away; hitting the podium. It splintered and flew backward; smashing against the wall. Cursing, Sven snatched up his attaché and let off a round of bullets at the girl. She quickly darted out of the way; raising the fists up to form a shield in front of her. Jonas growled softly; clenching his teeth.

Damn that man. He'd kill her if he wasn't careful...and _then _where would they be?

Transforming her right arm into a giant hammer, she darted around to Sven's left and slammed it forcefully into his side. The man was sent flying across the church and he slammed hard against the far left wall. Coughing, he pushed himself up and calmly wiped his mouth of blood. Eve bit her lip; her eyes glistening with tears. Rising silently to his feet, he placed a hand behind his ear and cracked his neck back into place.

_**Input ratio raised to 100 percent.**_

~ø~

His body convulsed as a strong electrical current surged through him and he gagged; blood flying from his lips. Exhausted, he hung his head and gazed down at the white tile floor below him; a curtain of jade hair falling in front of his face. The image of a young girl with long blonde hair entered his mind. She was lying on the ground; bleeding. He inwardly cursed.

_'Eve...no!'_

~ø~

With a smirk, Sven started for her again; a near-deranged look in his eye. Eve gasped and quickly leapt away from him; her heart stopping as he suddenly appeared behind her,

_'What!?'_

He was too fast. She had no time to react.

"You put up a good fight, _little girl but_," he began; blood running down his blade,

"...playtime's over."

Train straightened as he looked on in horror; his heart stopping,

_'No...no, NO!!'_

Eve gasped softly; her mouth falling open in shock. Glancing down, she could see Sven's bladed arm spearing straight through her...

_"PRINCESS!!"_

~ø~

_'Dammit...!' _

He cursed inwardly as he limped down the dank alleyway; blood leaking from the deep wound in his leg. A cut on his head caused blood to trickle down his face; slightly obscuring his vision. He cursed as he reached the end of the alley and slumped against the wall; his mahogany-hair shimmering in the sunlight,

"What a pain in the ass..."

Gritting his teeth, Jenos pushed off from the wall and turned onto Dawson Street. It stung as he walked, but the pain was trivial compared to what would happen if he didn't hurry,

"I just hope I'm not too late."

As he was readying to cross the road, he glanced over at the nearby light pole; eyebrow raised curiously,

"Huh?"

Lying at the base of the pole were a pair of discarded handcuffs with a key jammed in the lock...

~ø~

"PRINCESS!!"

She gazed at the blade in her thigh silently; her breath caught in her throat. After a moment or two, Eve slid off of Sven's blade and fell to the floor; her eyes wide with pain.

Train cursed as he immediately pushed himself up and started forward; his eyes set on Eve's motionless form,

"Princess! _Princess_!!"

At this, Sven calmly raised his head. Extending his arm like rubber, he swung hard at the chestnut-haired man; knocking him head first into the pews. He landed hard on them; their wooden bases collapsing with the impact.

Eve gasped as she pushed herself up; watching the dust rise into the air,

"No, Train!"

She halted then; the sharp end of a blade meeting her eyes. Following it back to it's owner, she swallowed hard and raised her gaze slowly to meet their's,

"Sven..."

He stared at her coldly; his voice completely dead as he spoke,

"If you won't come with me willingly..."

He pulled his arm back behind him and morphed it into a spear,

"Then, I'll just have to take you in by force."

The girl's eyes widened; her heart stopping as the blade lunged forward. Jonas cursed, his fists clenching at his sides,

"No, don't!"

_**SHLINK.**_

_**

* * *

**_**A/N#2: OH NOEZ!!! D:  
**


	34. XXX

**A/N: Sorry for the wait, everyone! Life just kinda shoved this story to the back burner for awhile and I started to feel like I was never going to get a chance to update! ._.; I promise the next chapter will be longer! I just felt that I needed to post SOMETHING, though, and let down as it may be, I'm planning the next few chapters to be quite epic! Thanks for staying with me! :3  
**

* * *

**XXX**

It surprised him; the speed at which he could run by just seeing her tears. Seeing those tears...hearing those cries. His feet hit the asphalt fast; so much so that he didn't even feel the ground at all. He was flying.

_'"I just wanted to make sure you'd come back."'_

This was all his fault. If only he hadn't left her...if only he had stayed! Narrowing his eyes, he cursed himself. He had been such a fool. Thinking it best to leave; that he'd just put her in danger. And now she was in more danger then he ever could've imagined! If only he'd been there; things would've been different. Things wouldn't have to be this way...

~ø~

"PRINCESS!!"

She halted then; the sharp end of a blade meeting her eyes. Following it back to it's owner, she swallowed hard and raised her gaze slowly to meet theirs,

"Sven..."

Sven stared at her coldly; his voice completely dead as he spoke,

"If you won't come with me willingly..."

He pulled his arm back behind him and morphed it into a spear,

"Then, I'll just have to take you by force."

The girl's eyes widened; her heart stopping as the blade lunged forward.

_**SHLINK.**_

Eve froze as a shadow cast itself over her; a very familiar shadow at that. Raising her head up, she remained in silent shock at the muddy-haired boy now standing before her.

Smirking, Merrick rose his head; glaring Sven directly in the eye,

"Looks like...I made it just...in time."

Pushing himself out of the rubble, Train straightened as he caught sight of the boy; his eyes wide. It wasn't possible. He clearly remembered cuffing that boy to the light post across the street! So, then how...?

_'The key. He must've stolen it while I wasn't looking. But that's crazy!? My eyes were on him the entire time!! There's no way he could've taken them without me seeing it...!!'_

Grunting in pain, Merrick squeezed his eyes shut and gasped for air. This had to be the _dumbest_ idea he'd ever had, but he couldn't turn back now. He had to do this; for Eve's sake....and for Sven's. Pulling himself into an upright position, he pulled himself closer and took hold of the eye patch,

"Show's over."

With one pull, he ripped it away from Sven's face; sliding off his blade. Eve let out a scream as he fell and rushed forward to catch him,

"MERRICK!"

She lowered him carefully to the ground as they collided; her eyes wide as she gazed down at him,

"Merrick!! Merrick!!!"

"Don't...be fooled, Eve..."

She gasped as he weakly pushed at her cheek; turning her to look at Sven,

"That man..._isn't _Sven. See...for yourself."

She turned her gaze upward; gasping softly at what she saw,

_'His right eye...it's __**blue**__!!'_

The lime-haired man stared down at him in shock; his eyes wide,

"How...did you know?"

Merrick smirked up at him smugly; his hair shifting just slightly. The scar marring the left side of his face began to show, and in response, the lime-haired man shook his head and backed away; babbling like a mad man,

"N-No....that's not possible! You...You can't be!!"

Jonas frowned in confusion at the man's sudden outburst and silently glanced down at the boy in Eve's arms,

_'What...?'_

The muddy-haired boy continued to smirk; causing the man's outbursts to grow even more wild. Grabbing both sides of his head, the lime-haired man began to scream incoherently; his entire body trembling. Eve gasped as the man's limbs began to bubble; her eyes widening in fear,

"Wha-What...?"

After a few, short moments, Sven's image had disappeared; leaving another man in his place. Rinslet gasped softly as she gazed at the quivering man; her eyes widening in surprise,

"Jonas--!?"

Train frowned; clutching his shoulder as he stood up,

"--Warren?"

With a strangely horrified cry, the raven-haired man fell to his knees; both hands clamped to his head. Eve gazed at him in frightened silence as he crumpled to the ground; a bead of sweat trailing down her cheek.

The other Jonas hurried to his writhing comrade; his visage changing as well,

"Sir, we should retreat for now."

"_Li_!?"

Xiao Li glanced down the aisle at the lavender-haired woman. Rinslet shook her head,

"No...why are _you_ here!? You're supposed to be fighting Jenos!"

"He _was_."

She spun around to see the mahogany-haired man stagger through the doorway. Jenos narrowed his eyes,

"Until he ran off like a dog with his tail between his legs...back to his _master_."

"You make my loyalty sound shameful, Number VII."

"Really," the wounded man began; glaring his former comrade down,

"Maybe that's because it _is._"

The room fell silent for but a moment; a soft whisper soon filling the empty air.

"This whole time..."

Li glanced over at Train; his expression blank. The chestnut-haired man stood; his head bowed and his body trembling with anger,

"I knew I was right. I knew that it wasn't Sven...that it _couldn't_ be...but still...still part of me wanted to believe...."

Pulling out his pistol, he aimed it directly at the Number's head. Rinslet gasped and called out to him from her spot beside Leon,

"Train!"

The chestnut-haired man snarled as his finger hovered over the trigger; his golden eyes glowing with a dangerous light,

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't kill you right now... you dirty, son of a--!!!"

"Because your partner," Li calmly cut in; pulling Warren onto his arm,

"Would not want that."

Train froze in silence; his eyes wide. Without another word, Li turned for the door; adjusting the broken man on his shoulder.

_**BANG.**_

He halted as a bullet cut across his cheek and bowed his head; Train's angered voice echoing throughout the hall,

"Don't you dare talk about my partner...not when you're siding with the man who _killed _him."

Eve gasped softly as Train's words met her ears; her eyes wide as they filled with tears. Sven...._dead_? No...no, that _couldn't_ be right!

Li sighed deeply as he glanced back at the chestnut-haired man. The look in his eyes; it matched the stories he'd been told by the other Numbers. Stories of Chronos Number XIII, the infamous Black Cat. However, in all the days he had known Heartnet, _that _man had never presented himself. Not until today.

Train growled as the man again turned for the exit; his eyes gleaming fiercely as the pistol in his hand began to shake,

"Take one more step and you're a dead man, Li--!"

"I should warn you of the same then, Heartnet."

Li narrowed his eyes at the chestnut-haired man; his voice a near hiss,

"Should you interfere with our escape...I _will_ kill you."

He then darted to the left; carrying Jonas with him as he leapt through one of the nearby windows. Sending Seiren in front of him, he shattered the window and carried Warren through it; littering the earth outside in an array of coloured glass. Train grunted; leaping up after them as they escaped,

"Stop!"

Running to the broken window, he winced and raised his gun. They had already disappeared and he soon found that he didn't have the strength to go after them. Cursing, he let his arm fall back to his side; his fist shaking as he tightened his grip on the gun,

"Dammit..."

He fell to his knees; the weapon clattering to the floor beside him. Head bowed, he slammed a fist against the floor; his entire body now shaking with anger,

"DAMMIT!!"

Rinslet bit her lip as she watched him crumble. She knew how badly he had wanted to believe; how he had hoped that Sven was still out there somewhere. _Alive_.

Now, he was having to live it all over again. The pain. The loss. Thanks to Jonas Warren, his hopes had been dashed a second time.

She sighed deeply. Never in her life had she expected to see him so broken and defeated,

"Train..."

Taking a step forward, Jenos frowned; wincing slightly as a sharp pain shot through his wounded leg,

"Heartnet--"

It took him not even a second to react. Almost instantaneously, the chestnut-haired man was on his feet; his gun trained on the Number's head. Rinslet tensed; her voice nearly cracking as she yelled to him,

"Train--!!"

A single golden eye glowed brightly from behind the dark shadows of his bangs; casting on him, a deadly glare,

"Were you a part of this?"

"No."

He replied calmly. Train's eye narrowed still; his teeth grinding together angrily,

"How can I believe you?"

"I'm no fool, Heartnet," Jenos began; a deep sigh escaping his lips,

"If I were in on it, I wouldn't be stupid enough to stand here in front of you right now, that's for sure."

Train remained silent.

Rinslet glanced back and forth between them anxiously as a heavy silence fell upon them. The tension in the air was overwhelming. Suddenly, a shrill cry shattered the quiet; turning everyone to attention.

"You...You _idiot_!!"

Eve trembled as she cradled Merrick in her arms; blood pouring profusely from the hole in his gut,

"Why!? Why did you do that!?"

The boy flashed her a cheeky grin, a soft breath of laughter escaping him as a tear fell from her eye; splashing gently against his skin,

"Because..."

She shook her head; her voice crackling as the torrent of her tears poured down on him like rain from a thunder cloud,

"Because _why_!?"

"_Because_...." he began; his fingertips gently brushing away her tears,

"If I hadn't....he would've killed you..."

She grabbed his hand as it began to fall and placed it to her heart. He smiled at that; his eye beginning to dim,

"Tell Sven....thanks."

The girl frowned in confusion. Before he knew it, he found himself crying,

"If it hadn't been for him....I would never....have met you."

Eve straightened as he started to laugh; her grip on his hand tightening,

"Merrick..."

A tear glittered down his cheek; mixing with the blood on his lips as his eye began to close,

"I just wish....I could've been...a little more helpful...to you."

Her eyes widened as he went limp. His hand fell from hers....

_**"MERRICK!"**_

~ø~

Li sighed as they reached the helicopter and helped Jonas inside. He shut the door behind him; kneeling in front of the man,

"Mr. Warren? Are you all right? Mr. Warren?"

Jonas swallowed hard, his sapphire eyes wide,

"It can't be...It just can't be...."

He then bowed his head; his eyes still just as wide and terror-stricken. Swallowing hard, Li nodded silently to the pilot; the rotor craft roaring to life.

As they ascended up past the clouds, Li sighed deeply.

_'"Do you understand what I need of you, Li?"'_

_----_

_They stood in the laboratory; a few feet from their captive. Adjusting his glasses, Jonas turned to the raven-haired man and sighed,_

_"It should be simple enough. I'll utilise my nanotechnology to transform into Vollfied. I've hired someone to lure the bioweapon to the Dawson Street church. Once she's there, it will no doubt be easy to convince her of who I am. In the meantime, I'll need you to dispose Heartnet and Miss Walker. Do it by any means neccessary. It won't take very long for me to capture the bioweapon."_

_Li nodded shortly,_

_"Yes, sir. I understand completely."_

_----_

_'But the calculations were wrong. He didn't account for young Leon being there...nor that __**other**__ boy. And he certainly didn't count Number VII into his calculations. If it hadn't been for my quick improvisation...then all of this would have been for naught.'_

He glanced over at Warren silently. The man was completely still; his blank eyes staring vacuously out into space. Taking a deep breath, Li turned back toward the window and slowly exhaled,

_'It will only be a matter of time before we can initiate __**those**__ plans. But I wonder...'_

~ø~

_'...if it will be too late by then.'_

The jade-haired man lowered his head; taking in harsh, ragged breaths. A bead of sweat dripped from his chin. His entire body trembled from exertion and he felt terribly weak; frail even. He hated this. This frailty. Even more he hated that there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't fight. He couldn't escape. All he could do was sit back and watch as everything he cared about was destroyed. He let out a deep sigh. No, there was still_ something_. Unforgivable an act as it would be; it was his only option. He closed his eyes lightly.

To resign himself to death would be the hardest thing he'd ever have to do, but if it kept them safe...

_'"Sven! You promise?"'_

_**...promise, what?**_

_'"That we'll go to the festival...and see the fireworks."_

He ground his teeth together; a single tear gliding down his cheek.

**I promise.**


	35. XXXI

**A/N: I don't really have an excuse for why this chapter is so late...other than I'm a lazy ass. Sorry about that. D:**

* * *

**XXXI**

Li sighed as he entered the laboratory. He glanced around a bit; taking in his surroundings. The new facility was quite a bit larger than the old; just as Warren had specified.

_'More room for research I suppose...'_

Upon spotting the lab assistant, Li took a deep breath and headed over to him,

"How are the preparations going?"

The blonde-haired man smiled nervously; adjusting his spectacles,

"O-Oh! Number X, sir! I-It's good to see you..."

Li offered him a smile in return,

"Please, just call me Li."

"R-Right...sir."

The assistant silenced a moment; Li clearing his throat,

"Well?"

Jumping, the man nodded shortly; picking up his clipboard and pen,

"Oh! Th-that's right! You asked me something, didn't you, sir?"

He stepped to Li's right and walked over to the wall. All of the equipment lay in boxes,

"As you can see, I'm not completely done setting things up here. It will probably take a few more hours to get everything into sufficient working order."

"I see," he began; placing his hands behind his back as he glanced around. Swallowing hard, the young man coughed shortly,

"H-How's Mr. Warren doing?"

Li straightened; sighing deeply,

"He's recovering."

~ø~

_"That last battle took quite a severe toll on him."_

Jonas sat in bed; completely silent. In his trembling hands, he held a picture frame. It was of a young boy with mahogany hair and smokey blue eyes. He gazed at it; his eyes narrowing. In the silence, he bowed his head; a sob escaping him. A single tear splattered on the glass.

_"He'll likely be out of commission for a few days."_

~ø~

Nodding shortly, the assistant swallowed hard,

"I see...c-can I be honest with you, sir?"

The raven-haired man frowned; raising a curious eyebrow,

"Of course you can. I don't see why you couldn't."

He glanced at the Number nervously and sighed,

"I...I'm actually...kind of glad that Mr. Warren is ill."

Li straightened and took a step toward him,

"What?"

Gulping harshly, he shook his head and took a few steps back,

"I just....y-you see... I...! I just meant....that since Mr. Warren w-won't be able to do anything for a while...maybe Mr. Vollfied can...well...maybe he'll.......have some time to recover his strength, that's all."

The young assistant flinched as Li's shadow cast itself over him. He was surprised to receive a pat on the shoulder. Glancing up at him, he blinked curiously,

"Sir?"

Li then walked to the door at his right; peering through it's small window,

"That's very kind of you..."

Lying in a bed just beyond that window was Sven. The move to the new facility had taken quite a toll on him. His lengthy, ever-faded lime hair lay sprawled out in a mess around him. His skin was nearly paper white. He was connected to a ventilator as well as a heart monitor. The man was skeletal; so much so that he hardly resembled his old self. The raven-haired man sighed deeply and bowed his head.

There was no telling how much longer the poor man would last...

~ø~

She sat quietly in the dark; her hands wrung tightly together in her lap. She kept her head bowed low; her eyes fixed on the blood splattering her skin and clothes.

_**'"Come with me, Eve."'**_

She could still see his hand extended toward her; still feel the hope and anxiousness running through her at that moment. That warm smile. That familiar voice...

**It had all been a lie.**

A lie she had so blindly fallen for. She shivered; shaking her head. How could she have been so easily lead? What kind of person did that make her? She should've been able to tell...the difference between a fake Sven and the real one. The real Sven.

_**Her**_** Sven. **

She felt sick; disgusted. How could she have been so stupid? Wasn't she more sensible then that? She should've known better; known that Sven wouldn't just pop up safe and sound like that after four years. She had let herself hope; let herself believe that it could be. Because she _wanted _it to be. And because of that...

_**'"Tell Sven...thanks."'**_

She swallowed hard as his blood-ridden smile entered her mind; the painful look in his lone, sapphire eye tearing her heart to shreds. She closed her eyes tightly.

_**'"If it hadn't been for him...I would never...have met you."'**_

But that had been the last thing he'd needed. Ever since they'd met, she'd caused him nothing but trouble. From the very beginning when they'd gotten on one another's nerves. When he'd saved her from those awful sweepers in Vista. In Fector Town with all of their misunderstandings. And then in Champais when he'd shot Blanchett just to keep her safe. Even now, after two months of separation, he was still needlessly risking his life for her. She wasn't even sure how he'd known she was there in the first place! Her fists clenched in her lap. This was the first time, the first time in a _long _time, that she'd felt truly and utterly...

A soft groan from the bed beside her drew Eve out of her thoughts and she looked up; wiping her tears away. Quickly, she grabbed a wash rag from the bowl of cool water that sat on the night stand nearby and leaned over the bed; dabbing it gently on Merrick's cheek. He had been unconscious since they'd arrived at the hotel. Rinslet had done a good job of fixing him up. For some reason, she'd found herself unable to do so. She hadn't been able to do anything for him.

**Helpless**.

Sighing deeply, she took a hold of the boy's hand; a single, hot tear falling from her eye,

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

She pressed his hand to her forehead and sobbed.

_"So, how's the brat doing?"_

~ø~

Rinslet sighed as she leaned back against the door; her arms folded across her chest as she glared at the chestnut-haired man sitting on the window sill,

"Which one? The one with the hole in his gut or _you_?"

Train narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze to the window. She walked across the room; heading to the couch where a boy with periwinkle hair sat scowling,

"How's your neck, Leon?"

He continued to scowl; his gaze set on the table before him,

"He got the better of me..._again._"

She stared at him a moment and shook her head,

"Not what I asked, but it seems like you're doing better."

Taking a seat beside him, she leaned her head back and gazed at the ceiling,

"Geez, is this what I'm gonna have to deal with all night? A couple of sulking_ babies_...?"

It was at that moment that the door to the room creaked open; drawing all of their attentions to it. Train placed a hand on his holster; readying himself to draw if needed. As it would turn out, he'd have no need to draw...but a _desire _to.

"All right, who's up for pizza?"

Jenos chirped happily as he waltzed into the hotel room. The lavender-haired woman jumped up quickly and hurried over to him,

"Oh, thank God! I've never been happier to see you!"

He blinked in surprise; a dumb smile striking his face,

"R-Really!? You--"

She took the pizza box from his hands and opened it; taking a slice for herself as she headed back to her seat,

"I'm _starving_!"

"--are."

With a muttered grumble, he shut the door behind him and hobbled over to a nearby chair,

"I should've guessed that was all it was..."

"I thought you were supposed to be doing _surveillance_."

Jenos sighed as he sat down and propped his wounded leg up on the coffee table,

"Who says I wasn't?"

Train growled; glaring at him angrily,

"The damn pizza box."

"_C'mon_, Heartnet," the mahogany-haired man began; leaning back against the seat cushion,

"I highly doubt Warren's gonna be back; at least not for a while. Relax! Have a little pizza! It'll make you feel better..."

At that, the chestnut-haired man snarled and pushed away from the wall,

"The only thing that'll make me feel better is getting the hell out of here and finding my partner."

He marched to the door; pausing a moment as he grabbed the knob,

"We're leaving tomorrow. Whether _he's_ ready or not."

He nodded toward the bedroom. Then, turning away from them, he jerked the door open and stepped out into the hall; slamming it behind him.

Jenos sighed deeply in the silence; tiredly rubbing his eyes,

"I'm beginning to wonder whether or not it was a good thing I told him everything."

"It was, trust me," Rinslet began; pushing up from her spot on the couch.

He watched her walk over to the window; eyebrow raised curiously. She leaned against the wall with arms folded; gazing out of the glass pane with a small smile on her lips,

"Even if he's cranky right now; the moment you told him about Sven..."

~ø~

_"It was the happiest I've seen him in a long time."_

Train sighed deeply as he laid back against the hard shingles; hands propped behind his head. A chilly breeze fluttered through his bangs and he narrowed his eyes; gazing silently at the night sky. The moon was full tonight.

_'"All right. Explain."'_

----

_He stood by the window; his eyes trained on the mahogany-haired man across the room. They were held up in a hotel room a few blocks from Dawson Street Church. The sun was beginning to set now, and thus far, there was no indication that Jonas Warren would be returning any time soon. Leon lay unconscious on a couch across from Rinslet, who was busy bandaging Jenos' wounds. Train stood in the shadows by the far right window; his deadly gaze locked on the mahogany-haired Number. _

_Jenos sighed deeply; pulling his shirt back on as he cleared his throat,_

_"Okay. Where do you want me to start?"_

_"From the beginning," the chestnut-haired man began; sitting down on the window sill,_

_"And don't leave anything out."_

_Smiling a little, the man shrugged,_

_"All right. Well, to the belief of some people, in the beginning, God created man--"_

_"Hazard."_

_"Relax, Heartnet, it was just a joke."_

_He leaned forward; placing his elbows on his knees. Bringing his hands together, he pressed his knuckles to his lips and closed his eyes,_

_"It was some time in August. I had been noticing Warren heading into the meeting hall for the past few weeks. I assumed he was just another Eraser. It made me wonder what business he had with the Elders, but Li..."_

_He narrowed his eyes; gritting his teeth angrily. Rinslet noticed the change in his dispostion and straightened; frowning silently._

_He let out an aggravated sigh; his fists clenching,_

_"Li said it was nothing to worry about."_

_Train raised an eyebrow,_

_"And you believed him?"_

_"I had no reason not to," Jenos replied; again sighing,_

_"Anyway, I found myself wondering about it, so I asked Belze. Apparently, he'd been seeing the same thing. We decided to team up and check it out on our own. Didn't want anyone else to get caught up in it, you know? However..."_

_He groaned as he rose to his feet and limped to the window,_

_"It went bad. Jonas Warren...he was more than Belze anticipated."_

_He went silent for a moment; his head bowed in thought. Then, with a deep breath, he turned his gaze back to the window and continued,_

_"After I got back from my mission, I decided I'd go search for myself. Belze had told me about some kind of underground lab during our last conversation so I followed his directions...found my way there. I had no idea what it had been that he'd had found down there, but if it had been enough to kill him over, I knew it had to be pretty bad."_

_Nodding, the chestnut-haired man frowned and folded his arms,_

_"So, what did you find?"_

_Jenos looked to him silently. After a moment or two of his silence, Train straightened; his eyes widening as the light bulb seemed to finally flicker on,_

_"Don't...don't tell me..."_

_"You hit the nail on the head, Heartnet..."_

----

_'"It was your partner."'_

The chestnut-haired man closed his eyes; a small smile crossing his lips,

"I knew it all along. I knew there was no way you'd go down that easy..."

Another breeze rolled through and the faint smell of tobacco met his nostrils.

_"Oh? And that's because you know everything, right?"_

His smile widened and he laughed; almost feeling the man's presence beside him,

"Well, yeah. I _am_ a genius, you know."

_"Right. 'Genius' my ass. Eve knows more than you do and she's only 12!"_

Train opened his eyes then; sighing deeply,

"No...she's not. Little Princess, she's...she's all grown up, now."

He sat up; propping his elbows up on his knees. His hair fluttered about his face as another cold breeze swept through,

"She needs you here...we _both_ do. It just isn't the same without you around."

He glanced over at the spot where the lime-haired man would've been, _should've _been, and sighed,

"I promise. No matter what it takes. I'll bring you back..."

~ø~

_'"I'm gonna get you the hell outta there, Sven."'_

The young lab assistant stopped as he heard a soft mumbling coming from within Sven's room and raised an eyebrow. Cautiously walking over to the open door, he poked his head in; blinking curiously. There was no one inside, but the jade-haired man himself. He frowned in confusion and shaking his head; started away from the door.

"E....Eve...."

He halted in his tracks. Glancing through the observation window, he straightened; his eyes widening. A single tear traced it's way down Sven's sunken cheek. At that, the assistant bit his lip,

"I...I can't..."

**"I can't let this go on any further."**


	36. XXXII

**A/N: Hello! Just checking in with my monthly update!! And it's a long one this time!!**

**....**

**That's what _she_ said.** ***shoots self***

* * *

**XXXII**

"Well, he's finally out."

Rinslet sighed as she pulled a blanket over the sleeping periwinkle-haired boy on the sofa and turned to the mahogany-haired man sitting on the window ledge. His mood seemed sombre and serious; nothing like the happy-go-lucky attitude he usually wore around her.

"Thinking about Li?"

Jenos coughed; keeping his gaze on the street outside as he calmly replied,

"No."

"_Yes_," the lavender-haired woman responded; folding her arms as she walked to the window sill and sat down across from him.

"It's not your fault, you know...you had no idea what kind of things he was up to--"

"That's not the point."

He turned away from the window and leaned forward; elbows on his knees,

"I should've been able...to _stop_ him, at least. I should've seen the signs. Maybe then, Belze would still..."

He trailed off; his gaze set on the floor. A long silence hung in the air; filling the space between them like a wall. The only sound in the room was that of Leon's soft snoring.

"I got your messages. _All_ of them."

He straightened; looking to her in surprise,

"You...you did?"

"Yeah," she began; turning to him with a sigh. His eyes brightened as he recalled one of his last to her,

_'"__Rinslet Walker, you are a true thief. You've stolen my heart, after all. I just wanted you to know that..."'_

He swallowed hard; blushing a little as she gazed into his eyes,

_'Does this...does this mean she...?'_

"And...Jenos?"

He cleared his throat as she leaned in closer to him; his eyes widening in surprise,

"Y-Yeah?"

She flashed him a sultry little smile.

_**THWACK.**_

"If you EVER leave _500 messages _on my voice mail again, I'll make SURE you don't come back next time!"

He whimpered as she stormed off; tears pouring down his cheeks as a nice lump began to swell on the back of his head,

"Y-Yes ma'am...!"

She stopped upon reaching the bathroom door; her head bowed in silence.

"But really..."

The mahogany-haired man straightened; raising an eyebrow. The tone in her voice had changed a little. It almost sounded like she was crying.

She turned to face him and sure enough; a tear had found it's way onto her cheek,

"Don't ever do that again."

He smiled; sighing deeply.

_**"Yes, ma'am."**_

~ø~

Eve sighed softly in her sleep; her eyebrows furrowing as she began to frown.

_'"Sven!!"'_

----

_She ran as quickly as she could through the fog-ridden city; her heart pounding in her chest. There he was just a few feet away. He was so close she could almost touch him. Almost. No matter how fast she pushed herself; she just couldn't seem to get to him. His image flickered before her eyes and she stopped; shaking her head as he disappeared completely,_

_"No...no!"_

_She glanced around; desperately searching for a sign that he was still present in this ghost town,_

_"Sven! Sven, where are you!?"_

_Her voice echoed coldly back to her and she swallowed hard; hugging herself tightly as she dropped to her knees,_

_"Sven...don't go."_

_**"Don't worry....I'm not going anywhere."**_

_She gasped as she felt a strange warmth envelope her and she glanced upward. Her eyes widened. Standing over her was a boy with muddy-brown hair. He extended a hand to her and she noted that the knitting on his__ratty gloves was beginning to fray. He smiled. She hesitated a moment; gazing cautiously into his solitary sapphire eye. He didn't look dangerous. He looked...._

**Lonely.**

_She reached up slowly; her fingertips lightly brushing his. The boy lurched forward suddenly; her eyes widening as blood began to pool at his feet. Through his middle stuck a long, silvery blade and behind him holding said blade was a man with lime-green hair..._

_**"If it hadn't been for him...I would never have met you."**_

_----_

Gasping as she opened her eyes, Eve looked quickly to the bed-ridden boy before her,

"Merrick!"

He was still unconscious; his chest rising and falling evenly. Sleeping. At that, she smiled and tightened her grip on his hand.

A knock at the door drew her attention away from him and she gasped softly; wiping the tears from her eyes,

"Y-yes?"

_"It's me."_

The door opened slowly and poking her head in was none other than Rinslet,

"How's he doing?"

The girl smiled; using her free hand to tuck hair behind her ear,

"He's asleep."

"Well, I figured as much. That blade went right through him."

She walked over to the bed and carefully placed a hand to the boy's cheek; sighing deeply,

"He's a little warm, but it doesn't feel like fever."

Eve nodded shortly, her eyes downcast,

"That's good."

She then fell silent. Rinslet sighed deeply and walked around to the window; glancing outside,

"Well, there's good news. Jenos said he might know where Sven is. So, the sooner you're little boyfriend gets better, the sooner we can go find him--"

"He's not..."

Rinslet straightened as she watched the girl's face turn bright red.

"He's not my boyfriend. Merrick and I...we're just partners."

The lavender-haired woman blinked silently; her lips curling into a small smile after a moment,

"All right. Whatever you say. Either way, though, he needs to rest. And so do_ you_..."

She started toward the door; Eve bowing her head. Suddenly, the girl spun around; her fists clenching tightly in her lap,

"Rinslet!"

Rinslet turned back as she reached the door; raising an eyebrow,

"Yeah, kiddo?"

"Did he say," the blonde began; her voice trembling slightly,

"Did he say...whether or not Sven was okay?"

The woman straightened.

_'"Jenos..."'_

_----_

_The mahogany-haired man glanced over at her; eyebrow raised curiously,_

_"Hmm?"_

_She frowned; glancing down at Leon. The boy appeared to be dozing off at the moment; a bag of ice propped against his neck. She sighed,_

_"What is it that you're hiding? From Train, I mean."_

_Jenos coughed; carefully leaning back in his chair,_

_"I don't know what you mean."_

_Folding her arms, she scowled at him; an annoyed tone in her voice,_

_"You're a terrible liar and you know it. Now, what is it?"_

_He bowed his head; a long moment of silence passing over them._

_"Vollfied," he began; his voice becoming quiet,_

_"I highly doubt there's anything Heartnet can do for him."_

_Rinslet frowned; shaking her head in confusion,_

_"What? But you just said--"_

_"I know what I said. But the truth is..."_

_He turned his gaze to her; his expression a solemn one,_

_"When I found him...he was in terrible shape. Nothing but skin and bones. And that was months ago."_

_She straightened; gasping softly as he continued,_

_"If he's still alive, then by now I'm sure..."_

----

_'"That he's on his death bed."'_

Rinslet straightened; forcing a smile as she cleared her throat,

"He said...he said he looked a little beat up, but overall he was fine. If we get to him soon, he should be okay."

The blonde bowed her head; a smile crossing her lips as she began to shake,

"Th-Thank you...Rinslet."

She turned back to the bed as the lavender-haired woman stepped out. Upon hearing the soft click of the door closing behind her, she let out a stifled cry and wrapped her arms around herself. It was quite apparent in Rinslet's eyes...that she had been lying.

Biting her lip, she tightly squeezing her eyes shut,

_'Sven...Sven!!'_

Unable to hold back anymore; she let out a tiny wail and buried her face in the bed; gripping the bedsheets tightly as she sobbed. If Rinslet was so ready to lie to her about Sven's condition...then she knew it must be terrible.

_'"Don't you dare talk about my partner...not when you're siding with the man who killed him."'_

The memory of Train's cold voice rushed back to her, then, and she if it was true? What if the reason Rinslet lied to her was because Sven was...

_'NO! No, I won't believe that!! Sven...you can't be...! You just can't be gone!!'_

Another torrent of tears poured from her eyes and she shook her head. The woman's gesture was kind to be sure...but she was sure the pain of not knowing was far worse than anything Rinslet could've told her.

~ø~

Rinslet sighed as she leaned back against the door; the sound of Eve's painful sobbing meeting her ears.

_"Guess you weren't as convincing as you thought."_

She glanced over at the dining table to her left as the faint smell of tobacco wafted over to her. Clenching her fists tightly, she swiped an oil painting from the wall nearby and hurled it at the lime-haired apparition seated there. He disappeared as it was about to connect and she flinched as she heard it crash against the floor. Bowing her head, she trembled in anger; a few tears streaming down her cheeks,

"You...you damn jerk. How could you...?"

**"How could you just leave her like that?"**

~ø~

_"You...You idiot!!"_

**She's crying.**

He felt her arms wrap tightly around him; firmly placing pressure on his wound. It didn't hurt; not in the slightest.

_"Why!? Why did you do that!?"_

**Why? Well, **_**that's**_** a stupid question.**

Tears glided gently down her delicate cheeks and the sound of her horrified shrieks broke his heart. He gazed up into those beautiful ruby eyes of hers...and for the first time in a long while, he felt whole again. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her...even if it meant losing his life.

**If I hadn't...he would've killed you.**

She took his hand as it fell from her cheek. When had he lifted it? He couldn't remember. She pulled it to her heart; so close that he could feel it beating. It sent a chill through him, but not a bad kind, he noted. He found himself smiling.

**Tell Sven...thanks.**

She was frowning now. Or at least, it looked like she was. His vision was beginning to blur. He could feel something wet run down his cheek. Her tears, maybe? No. They were his own. At that, he laughed. So much for promising himself he wouldn't cry...

**If it hadn't been for him...I would never...have met you.**

She mumbled something. No. It was just his hearing failing him. He felt his strength beginning to flee him all at once and he swallowed hard. He couldn't see her anymore. This had to be it. His heart was racing. Was he scared? Of death, not at all; but to leave her like this...

**I just wish...I could've been...a little more helpful...to you.**

He couldn't see her anymore. He couldn't feel her, either. Her voice seemed so far away...

_"MERRICK!!"_

_----_

_**"'Sven, too', huh? So, you think you know anything about it!? Where the hell do you get off talking about my partner--!?"**_

_**"Eve told me everything!"**_

_----_

_The muddy-haired boy stared back at him sternly; his eyes narrowed,_

_"She told me that he was her guardian...and that he disappeared four years ago without a trace. She said she wanted to go look for him, but __**someone**__ wouldn't let her. I'm assuming that someone was you."_

_He scowled at the boy; his eyes burning with rage,_

_"That's none of your business."_

_"You're wrong. It __**is**__ my business!"_

_He shoved the chestnut-haired man away from him; the pull of the handcuffs jerking him forward a little,_

_"I don't know what you think you've heard...but Eve __**hired**__ me to help her find Sven because nobody else would! She was tired of waiting around for you to get your head out of your ass and let her go with you! She wants to find Sven just as badly as you do!! Don't you get that!?"_

_The man clenched his fists tightly,_

_"Of course, I do. I left her behind because I care about her! I didn't want her to get hurt--"_

_"It seems to me that she was more hurt by the fact that you left her."_

_----_

_**"E-Eve. What are you doing here?"**_

_----_

_The girl remained silent. Retracting her umbrella, she knelt down in front of him and leaned forward. His eyes widened as she wrapped her arms around him,_

_"Eve--?"_

_"I was worried...so I came looking for you."_

_Her embrace tightened and he straightened; glancing at her from the corner of his eye,_

_"You...you didn't have to do that--"_

_"I know," she began; pulling away from him with a smile. A single tear slid down her cheek and she quickly wiped it away,_

_"I just wanted to make sure you'd come back."_

_----_

**What...what is this?**

----

_Clenching his fists, Tim snarled; his eyes welling with tears,_

_"You...you son of a bitch!!"_

_He charged forward and slammed his fist into the boy's face. Merrick tumbled backward to the ground and Tim knelt over him; grabbing the collar of his shirt,_

_"Do you have any idea what you put everyone through!?! How much pain you caused all of us!!?! How much pain you caused her!?!"_

_He pointed at Blanchett's grave; tears streaming down his face._

_"She waited for you!! She swore to herself that she wouldn't leave here...that she __**couldn't **__leave here!! Because she was waiting for you to come back to her!! The only hospital that could've helped her was out of town...and yet still she stayed here!! Even though she knew you were never coming back!!"_

_Merrick turned his gaze from the boy; sighing deeply,_

_"I know."_

_Tim growled as the boy silenced and again punched him the jaw,_

_"You know!!? What do you mean 'you know'!? How could you possibly know when you weren't even here for the past three years!!?"_

_The boy trembled; his voice crackling as he continued,_

_"All I could do this whole time...was sit here and watch her destroy herself. I had to watch her marry that bastard Lector Garland...I had to sit back and take it as he beat her and abused her!! She made herself sick over it and when she couldn't take it anymore...I had to watch her disappear."_

_Slowly, he loosened his grip on Merrick's collar; his head bowing,_

_"It was like losing you all over, again..."_

_----_

**All...all of my memories...but why...?**

----

_"Loved?"_

_"What? You tellin' me you didn't know?"_

_Blanchett giggled at his silence,_

_"You really are clueless. The poor girl was head over heels fer you and whaddidya do? Y'left her cryin' in the middle of that high school dance and faked yer own death just to get away from her. Not only that, but ya left her in the arms a'that good fer nothin' Garland, who wanted nothin' more than t'use her at his own pleasure. When the poor girl couldn't take it anymore, she asked fer my help and well, I gladly came runnin' to her aid."_

_"If you loved me Blanchett...then why didn't you just say so!?"_

_Merrick shouted, his voice cracking with sadness. She snorted, narrowing her eyes at him,_

_"Would it have even made a difference?"_

_Clenching his fists tightly, he lowered his head, his entire body shaking,_

_"Blanchett....if I could....I would take it back. I would take it all back!! I wouldn't have run that night...I would've come back for you--!!"_

_"What about her?"_

_She motioned to Eve, her expression darkening,_

_"If ya took it all back...then you'd'a never met li'l Miss Sweeper over here. Tell me, Merry...could'ya honestly say that ya'd take back that night, knowing that? Knowing you'd never see her bat those pretty li'l eyelashes at ya...that ya'd never hear her beautiful voice again?"_

_**BANG.**_

_He silently watched her fall to the ground; blood pouring from the hole in her temple. His eyes then widened as she hit the floor; unmoving. Making his way around the couch; he staggered to her side and dropped to his knees._

_"What....what have I....?"_

_Her violet eyes were wide open; staring out into nothingness. Blood soiled the carpet beneath her head. Eve straightened as he began shaking; carefully reaching out and touching his arm,_

_"Merrick..."_

_Her touch gave him no comfort._

_"What have I...?"_

_Blanchett was dead...and there was no taking it back. _

_"BLANCHETT!!"_

_----_

**Does this mean...? Am I...?**

----

_"You should go....sweetheart."_

_He pulled away from her; tears rolling down his cheeks. Maggie smiled; weakly wiping them away,_

_"Now, now...don't cry. It's all right...I'll be in a better place...from now on."_

_He tensed as her eyelids fluttered; squeezing her hand tightly,_

_"Maggie?"_

_"I love you...Merrick. You have made me....so proud..."_

_Merrick straightened as she suddenly went limp; her eyes locked on the burning stairwell. Swallowing hard, he closed them with a trembling hand. He then stood silently; gazing down at her through blurry eyes. Wiping away the tears, he stepped around her and quickly made his way toward the back door as the roof began to creak. He bolted upon reaching the back porch; stopping at the fence. The house exploded in flame then; the roof caving in on itself. _

_----_

_**"What is it, Daddy? What's wrong?"**_

_----_

_The pain seared through his head; burning like fire. It was the worst kind of pain he'd ever felt. He could feel blood pouring out of the gash on his face; a gash from the broken bottle his father was holding. Had the man...really just hit him? Tears welled in his eyes and he sniffled; looking up at the man in fear,_

_"What did I do?"_

_His vision started to blur as he gazed up at his father's face in confusion. The man looked horrified._

_"Daddy...what did I do wrong?"_

_He felt himself fall to the ground; his father reaching for him. It was then he heard her screaming._

_"Stop it! Don't you touch him!!"_

_A dark figure rushed over to him; scooping him up in their warm arms. Sniffling, he clung to them tightly; his little body trembling. She started moving away from the man; heading toward the door. He could hear the anger in his father's voice as she retreated,_

_"What? Are you running to __**him**__ again?? Running back to that little__** twerp**__?"_

_"No," she said sternly; grabbing her purse and keys,_

_"I'm taking Merry to the hospital. And I'm calling the police--!"_

_She let out a sudden cry and he felt himself falling again; the woman right with him this time. His heart began racing. He couldn't open his eyes._

_"__**He**__ won't help you, you know. __**He **__can't. __**He's**__ dead."_

_She let out another startled cry; her voice beginning to waver,_

_"What did you do...?"_

_"I took care of __**him**__...there's no way __**he'll**__ ever come between us, now."_

_She let out another cry. Then another. And a third._

_The tiny boy forced his right eye open; his heart stopping as he watched his father bash the bottle against her repeatedly. His mouth fell open as he tried to shout; but only a squeak came out. She apparently heard him and tightened her hold on him; covering his head._

_"It's all right." _

_She whispered softly._

_"It's all right."_

_The man continued to beat her. Was he....was he going to kill her? Kill them both?_

_"It's all right."_

_Her embrace tightened and he squeezed his eye shut again; listening only to the sound of her voice,_

_"It's all right...it's all right...it's all right...!"_

_He could still hear her soft voice consoling him, even as he lost consciousness..._

_----_

_**"Huh? You want to see what I'm doing?"**_

_----_

_He nodded. The brown-haired man laughed softly; his glasses glinting brightly in the light,_

_"All right."_

_The man picked him up and sat him down on his knee,_

_"It's an oil painting. I like to do them in my spare time."_

_The boy blinked at it; his eyes wide,_

_"It's pretty."_

_Reaching out silently, he ran his fingers across it; the man laughing behind him,_

_"Whoa, whoops! It's not dry yet!"_

_He set the boy back down on the ground and lead him by his clean hand to the kitchen,_

_"C'mon. Let's get you cleaned up before your mom gets here."_

_He straightened at the sound of the door bell; the man letting out a groan,_

_"That's probably her now..."_

_Sitting the boy down on the counter, he leaned back; calling out into the other room,_

_"Susan, could you get that?"_

_A few moments later, the boy watched quietly as a woman with curly, blonde hair hurried down the stairs to the door. She opened it with a smile and the tiny boy squealed, leaping off of the counter. Standing in the doorway was a woman with waist-length, mahogany hair and smoky blue eyes._

_"Sorry I'm late," she began, shaking off her umbrella as she stepped inside,_

_"My car broke down!"_

_"Mommy!"_

_The woman glanced up as he came rushing forward and knelt down; smiling brightly. He giggled; wrapping his arms around her tightly. _

_"I found her sitting on the side of the road and thought I'd give her a lift."_

_"__**You**__ would."_

_"Hey!"_

_The boy blinked as he spotted the man standing behind her. He wore a long, tan coat with a business suit underneath. Perched on his lips was an unlit cigarette. What caught his eye most, however, was the man's unusually lime-coloured hair..._

_**"Hey, kid. Hey!"**_

_--ø--_

_The muddy-haired boy groaned as he slowly opened his eyes. The sun was the first thing he saw. Wincing, he closed his eyes again and raised a hand up to shield them from the light. After a few minutes, he opened them again to see one brown eye staring down at him. He let out a startled cry and bolted upright._

_**SLAM.**_

_He clasped a hand to the growing lump on his forehead and groaned; squeezing his eyes shut. He had hit something just now; something __**very**__ hard._

_**"Dammit! Jeez, kid...!"**_

_Merrick straightened upon hearing the man's familiar, deep voice and spun around quickly; his eyes growing wide. Kneeling there was a man in a cream-coloured suit with a silver briefcase at his side. An eyepatch covered his right eye and poking out from beneath a beige fedora were long tufts of lime-green hair._

_Apparently, the man noticed his staring at this point and turned to him; raising an eyebrow,_

_**"What?"**_

_"You," the boy began; blinking in surprise,_

_"You're Sven Vollfied, aren't you?"_

_Sven straightened; a look of confusion crossing his face,_

_**"And you are?"**_


	37. XXXIII

**XXXIII**

It was nearly five 'o' clock in the morning, now. Most everyone in the group had gone to sleep; all but she, Train, and that strange man from Chronos. Eve sighed deeply as she laid her head down on the mattress; her heart aching from all of the thoughts running through her mind. The room was quiet; so quiet that the only sound was that of the muddy-haired boy's breathing. She glanced over at him silently; a small smile tugging at her lips. His breathing was even and deep; and from the look on his face she could tell he was sleeping at least a _little_ more peacefully then he had been earlier. Gently taking his hand, she sighed again and closed her eyes,

_'At least I know, __**you're**__ okay...even if that's __**all**__ I know.'_

He twitched a little, but remained in slumber...

_**"Dammit! Jeez, kid..."**_

----

Merrick straightened upon hearing the man's familiar, deep voice and spun around quickly; his eyes growing wide. Kneeling there was a man in a cream-coloured suit with a silver briefcase at his side. An eyepatch covered his right eye and poking out from beneath a beige fedora were long tufts of lime-green hair.

Apparently, the man noticed his staring at this point and turned to him; raising an eyebrow,

**"What?"**

"You," the boy began; blinking in surprise,

"You're Sven Vollfied, aren't you?"

Sven straightened; a look of confusion crossing his face,

**"And you are?"**

"M-Me?"

The boy stuttered; silencing a moment. He then growled as the man calmly stood up and lit the cigarette hanging from his lips,

"What the hell do you mean!? You've been harassing me non-stop for the past six months! First in Fector town...then Champais? Ring a bell??"

**"Can't say that it does. You must be confusing me with someone else."**

He watched silently as Sven started down the street and he clenched his fists; a deep frown on his face,

"Well, wait a minute!! What about Eve!? She's been searching for you for four years now; just hoping she'd find you alive!! Surely you've got something to say about her!!"

The lime-haired man stopped; bowing his head thoughtfully,

**"Eve...did you say?"**

The boy remained silent. The wind howled as it snaked between buildings; blowing leaves out of the trees all around them. He turned to the boy with a confused frown; shrugging,

**"Sorry, kid... "**

**----**

_**"...I don't know anyone by that name."**_

~ø~

The streets of Stock Town were dark, now; darker than when their scuffle had taken place. It was almost time. He glanced again at the pocket watch in his hand; sighing deeply. 5:30. A soft wind blew between the buildings; causing his long, raven bangs to flutter.

Snapping it closed, Li raised his head and set his eyes upon the inn across the street,

"Let's make this quick."

He turned to the group of Erasers behind him a deadly look in his eye,

"Take the bioweapon alive. Kill everyone else."

Then turning back to the building, he smirked,

"And leave Jenos Hazard to me."

~ø~

He lay back against the ceramic shingles; his eyes lightly closed. It had to be at least five in the morning, now. His ear twitched at the sound of movement nearby. He let out a tired yawn and quickly whipped out his pistol; aiming it at the shadows.

"Relax, Heartnet," a familiar voice began,  
"It's just me."

Hobbling out of the dark was none other than Jenos Hazard. Train lowered his weapon,

"Something the matter?"

"Actually, yeah," he began, taking a seat beside the younger man,

"There's something I need to talk to you about."

"You have a nightmare?"

The mahogany-haired man snorted; shaking his head,

"No, nothing like that. It's about that eye your friend possesses."

Train straightened; raising his eyebrow curiously,

"What? You mean the vision eye?"

Jenos nodded; turning his gaze to the stars,

"Do you know how he got it?"

He nodded shortly,

"Sven told me about it in passing once. He said it was from his old partner in the IBI. He visits his grave once a year on the anniversary of his death...or at least he used to."

"Did you ever think of the possibility...that there could be more than just one out there?"

Train straightened,

"Not really, no. Why? You think there could be?"

"It's possible. Goldwynne's file said he was a registered organ donor. Any number of people could've received something from him...including the other eye."

The chestnut-haired man sighed; scratching his head,

"Yeah, but the question is..."

~ø~

_**"...where did it end up?"**_

----

"You...don't know....?"

Merrick's eye widened as the man shook his head; his fists clenching at his sides,

"What...what do you mean you don't know!?! You _have_ to know!! You're her guardian, dammit!! Doesn't she mean _anything_ to you!?"

Sven scowled at the boy; blowing smoke from his mouth in mild annoyance,

**"Look. I already told you. You've got me mixed up with somebody else. I don't have any kids. Whoever this 'Eve' girl is she's not looking for me. See you around."**

The man then calmly turned and started down the street; shoving his hands in his pockets. Shaking his head, the boy started to go after him, but stopped at the sound of a shout,

"_Hey, kid! Watch where yer goin'!_"

Glancing up ahead, he spotted a beastly looking man standing near a tiny, blonde girl. The girl had ruby eyes. He frowned, silently watching as Sven strode over to the man and pulled out his gun,

_'I don't...'_

Seconds later, the man ran away in terror.

_'I don't get it...'_

He watched them walk away; the air stilling around him,

_'Are these...are these--?'_

**"Leave her alone!"**

He spun around at the sound of a sudden shout; his eyes widening.

_'This place...'_

Mahogany pews. The velvet red carpeting. The stained-glass windows throwing a rainbow hue into the room. This was the church. The church on Dawson. And standing before him, a long gash running across his chest, was none other than...

He heard movement behind him and a strange, snake-like object flew past; barely missing his head. Staggering out of the way, Merrick gasped as what appeared to be a long-winding sword danced around the wounded man; finally burying itself in his shoulder. It slammed him against the wall and released him. He slid down to the floor, leaving a trail of blood in his wake. Merrick glanced over at the man behind the sword. He had silver-hair and a crazed look in his cold, grey eyes.

The boy straightened; his body frozen,

_'No...no way! This guy...!? I remember him...! He's the one from the news reports four years ago...the one who attacked the world summit in Sangeles City!! He had a bounty of 3 billion on his head if I remember correctly...'_

He tensed; swallowing hard as the silver-haired man aimed a gun directly at Sven's head,

_'Dammit! I can't just let this happen! There's gotta be something--'_

"Sven!!"

Merrick straightened; his eyes widening as her familiar voice rang out, albeit a bit higher than he remembered. He spun around to see her running straight for him. Holding out his hands, he tried desperately to make her stop,

"No, Eve!! Don't--!"

A gunshot rang out then and he turned back for Sven as the girl came to a halt.

Behind him now was a dark alleyway...

----

~ø~

"Finding the recipient would be like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Besides, I had someone a bit closer in mind..."

He pulled a manila folder from his coat and handed it to the chestnut-haired man; Train opening it curiously. Inside the folder was the picture of a young girl with cinnamon hair that bobbed at her chin and bright green eyes. She looked to be only about 16-years-old. He raised an eyebrow at it,

"Who is she?"

"Goldwynne's only child," Jenos began; turning his eyes to the picture as well...

~ø~

_"Jessica."_

The tiny brunette carefully placed the bouquet down on the cold, concrete tombstone and smiled,

"Hi, Daddy."

Turning back to her mother, she pouted slightly. The golden-haired woman was frowning.

"Mom? What's wrong?"

The woman sighed and shook her head, placing the flowers on her husband's grave,

"Nothing, sweetheart."

Shaking her head, the girl turned back to the grave and began telling it about how her life had been going. Her mother sighed again; rubbing at her arm subconsciously as she muttered quietly to herself,

"He didn't come again this year..."

~ø~

_"Sven..."_

----

Merrick narrowed his eyes as he stepped cautiously down the foggy backway. He could hear the sounds of a scuffle not too far ahead. Suddenly, a figure staggered around the corner; tumbling and falling into a nearby set of trash cans. They clattered loudly to the ground, and Merrick straightened; quickly jogging over to help,

"Hey! Are you okay--!?"

His eyes widened as he reached them and he halted. Pushing themselves up from the pile of garbage bins was none other than Sven Vollfied. His clothes were ripped in spots and stained in blood. Whoever he was fighting, he was putting up one hell of a fight, the boy noted. A gun hung limply at his side as he rose to his feet and one he quickly brought up at the sound of a distant noise. His breathing was deep and ragged. He was clearly getting tired.

The fog had set in pretty thick now and hardly anything over a foot away could be seen. Merrick frowned, as he stood next to Sven, the air dead silent,

_'What the--?'_

**"Who the hell are you?"**

The muddy-haired boy jumped his eyes wide as he glanced over at Sven,

"You...you can see me?"

**"Wha--of course I can see you! Now get out of here before you get yourself killed, kid! This place isn't safe!"**

Merrick snorted a little; glancing the man up and down,

"_Clearly_."

He scowled at the boy; his eyebrow twitching in annoyance,

**"I'm serious, you little punk. Get out of here while you still can!"**

As if on cue, a long, silvery tentacle shot out at them from the fog and the lime-haired man cursed; shoving the boy away from him,

**"Move!!"**

It wrapped itself around his neck, slamming him into the far wall. Merrick tensed; his eyes wide as it seemed to begin strangling him. He opened his mouth to shout, but another voice echoed in from the distance,

_"Sven!!"_

Sven clenched his teeth; choking a bit as he heard the call,

**"Tr...ain...!"**

The tentacle's grip tightened and he gagged; Merrick's eyes widening,

"H-Hey...stop!!"

He turned and followed the tentacle to it's source; readying himself to attack them,

"I said knock it off!!"

He raised his fist but stopped as he caught sight of their face; his heart dropping. It was _him_. _That_ man...that _horrible_ man...

**"Jonas Warren."**

The boy opened his eyes; completely startled. When had he shut them? Glancing around, he found himself in a completely white room with no furniture in sight. He shook his head and covered his mouth with a hand. Those things he'd just witnessed...had those just been an illusion? A dream? Or were those actually...?

**"My memories."**

Spinning on his heel, the boy straightened upon spotting a figure sitting in the corner of this vast, blank space. Long, ever-faded jade hair shadowed their features and their body looked fragile; skeletal. He cautiously inched his way over to them; his heart racing as he drew closer. The aura about this person was very familiar...as was their voice. But this couldn't be him. There was no way.

He swallowed hard as he knelt down before them. Their breathing was ragged and laboured, and a feeling of dread surrounded him...a feeling of death. The man weakly raised his head up to meet the boy's confused gaze; a sad smirk crossing his lips,

**"Thanks for intruding.....**_**kid**_**."**

* * *

**A/N:** **Okay, so this chapter was actually meant to be waaaaaaay longer than this, and I'll probably edit the post a bunch later, but I'm posting it now because our computer is in danger of crashing and I'm afraid if I leave it, I'll lose the ENTIRE THING. And I don't want that. That I most certainly don't... lol**

**So...Enjoy! 8D**


	38. XXXIV

**A/N: Forgive the lateness of this chapter. I've been severely preoccupied as of late. Also, if there are any typos or errors, please let me know, as I am seriously out of it right now. Enjoy! :3**

* * *

**XXXIV**

"Jessica, huh? You sure she has it? The vision eye, I mean..."

The mahogany-haired man nodded; motioning to the other papers in the folder,

"When she was nine, she started 'having nightmares'. It got so bad, that her mother finally took her to a doctor to try and figure out what was causing them. The 'dreams' she'd been having are all written in that report. Look at the first one."

Train raised an eyebrow as he pulled out the first sheet; reading it aloud in confusion,

"A giant centipede runs down the street. It hurts many people. The pretty lady won't stop him. There's a doctor there, but he doesn't help either. The man with the invisible sword...wins."

He turned to Jenos; his eyes wide in surprise,

"This was when Creed attacked the World Summit."

"Bingo," Jenos began; sighing deeply as he pulled another slip of paper from his coat,

"Every one of her dreams...they're all the same. Each one is a vision that later came to be."

He handed the paper to Train; the man frowning at it as he opened it,

"What's this?"

"Goldwynne's address in Sangeles City. She's likely to be Warren's next target. I need you to go pick her up."

He pushed himself to his feet; sighing deeply as he took Excelion from his coat pocket and adjusted it onto his hand,

"If she truly does have a vision eye, we can't let Warren have it. We need to keep her safe at all costs."

Train scowled; readying his pistol at his side,

"And what about Sven? You expect me to just leave him to die?"

"Not at all," Jenos began calmly. He quickly whipped his hand forward; Excelion's wires glittering silently past Train and into the nearby darkness. There was a painful scream and a man in a black suit tumbled off of the building behind him; his discarded gun hitting the ground before he did.

"But Jessica's safety is first priority. Besides, Sven's a big boy. He's held on for 4 years; he can hold out a few days more."

Train growled; remaining silent as he spotted a man coming out from the shadows behind Jenos.

~ø~

Eve gasped as the sound of gunfire met her ears and she raised up from her seat at Merrick's side. Wiping her eyes of tears, she rushed into the other room,

"What's going on!?"

Leon was awake now as well and he shook his head; grabbing the hover board next to the couch,

"I don't know. I'll go check it out!"

He hurried to the door, but jumped back as it swung open suddenly; Jenos quickly limping in,

"Party's over, ladies and gentlemen!"

Rinslet frowned as he limped over to the window, her eyes wide in confusion,

"Why? What's going on out there?"

"They found us," Train answered as he hurried to the doorway; keeping an eye out,

"We have to hurry and get out of here."

"Found us!? But how the hell did they do that!?"

"Who knows," the mahogany-haired man said; peering cautiously out the window,

"But they're here now and that's all that matters."

He turned to Eve, a dark frown on his face,

"How's your friend doing? Can he walk?"

She shook her head; her heart racing as Jenos hurried past her into the next room;

"N-No. He hasn't even regained consciousness."

Looking the muddy-haired boy over, Jenos cursed to himself; his fists clenching at his sides,

"Damn...looks like I'll have to do _that_ after all."

The little blonde straightened as he walked back out of the room and followed after him a few steps. He went back to the window; sighing deeply,

"Heartnet, grab the kids and get going. I'll stay behind and cover your escape."

Rinslet straightened as Train nodded quietly and ushered Leon to the door,

"What!?"

She rushed over to Jenos; her eyes wide with shock and fury,

"Are you insane!? You can't do that! You're in no shape to fight right now! If you do this, you'll-"

"-probably be killed. I already know that, sweetheart."

He turned to her with a bright smile; shooting her a wink,

"But I've got Lady Luck on my side, remember? No reason for her to ditch me now."

Rinslet swallowed hard as he continued; lowering her gaze from his,

"I'll be fine. Don't worry."

Eve gasped as Train rushed to the bed; watching as he roughly hoisted the boy up and threw him over his shoulder,

"Be careful with him!"

"I am! I am!"

He hurried back out the door; swallowing nervously as he felt the boy's head smack against the door frame. Eve scowled darkly at him; shooting daggers into his back as he kept forward. He laughed nervously,

"Oops..._slipped_."

Stopping as he reached the front door, Train glanced over at Jenos and sighed deeply,

"You sure you're up to this, Hazard?"

"I wouldn't have offered if I weren't, Heartnet. Now go. Get out while there's still time."

~ø~

He swallowed hard as he entered Jonas' office and glanced around nervously. No one was there. Quickly, he rushed to the man's desk and grabbed the cellphone from it's surface. He then rushed back down the hall; his heart racing violently. He had to be insane to actually be thinking of doing this. In fact, he'd probably be killed for it. He took a deep breath. It was true that he would desperately miss his family; but he had to do something. He couldn't just sit back and watch from the sidelines anymore.

~ø~

"You're...memories?"

He nodded silently. The boy straightened; shaking his head,

"So...is this your mind, then?"

He shrugged; his breathing ragged and deep,

**"I guess..."**

Merrick glanced down; noting the chains clamped on the man's ankles and wrists,

"And you're trapped here. In your mind?"

He nodded again; his breath seeming to leave him. Swallowing hard, the boy looked around; scowling. In this space, there were no windows or doors. No furniture. Just endless white.

And the overbearing feeling of despair. Eve's despair. Train's despair. _Sven's_ despair. It all seemed to meet at this point.

The place where Sven was trapped.

~ø~

They started out of the doorway; Eve letting out a gasp as the wall nearby suddenly exploded. She raised up her hands; quickly forming a shield as the debris blew toward them. When the dust settled, Jenos stepped out into the hall; taking his place in front of the group,

"Quite a flashy entrance for somebody like_ you_...wouldn't you say?"

Stepping out from the dust cloud and rubble came none other than Lin Xiao Li; Seiren drawn and ready at his hand,

"Perhaps. I thought it was fitting considering the _opponent_."

Jenos smirked, laughing a little as he began ushering the others toward the emergency staircase,

"Why, Li! I must say, I'm _flattered_. You _shouldn't _have..."

He pushed Rinslet behind him; stepping between her and Li's line of vision,

"Our fight ended a bit _abruptly_, back there...wouldn't you agree?"

The raven-haired man sighed deeply,

"Yes, well. I do _apologise_. I had _other business _that _urgently_ needed my attention."

"Oh? _Did _you, now?"

He smirked at Li; a knowing gleam in his eye,

"So...what do you say we end it? Once and for all?"

Li smiled in return as he watched Train carry the unconscious muddy-haired boy through the exit; Eve following close behind,

"My sentiments exactly, VII."

Jenos raised Excelion to eye level; his smirk ever-widening. He straightened then as he felt a gentle tug on the back of his shirt. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Rinslet standing there; her head bowed. She whispered softly; her voice filled with worry,

"Jenos..."

"You have to go, now, Rins."

She tightened her grip on his shirt and grit her teeth together; her hand beginning to tremble,

"But I..."

"Look at me."

She raised her head as he placed a hand on her cheek; a warm smile crossing his lips,

"Go. I'll meet up with all of you in Sangeles City, I promise."

She grabbed a hold of his wrist; looking up at him through tear-filled eyes. Forcing them away, she put on a scowl and pried his hand away,

"You'd better. Cause if you die...and I mean for _real_, this time...I will NEVER forgive you. Do you understand?"

He smiled as he watched her head to the stairs,

"Yes, ma'am. You have my word. I won't die until you say so."

The lavender-haired woman glanced back at him; her angry facade beginning to crumble,

"I mean it, Jenos. You'd better not die."

Pulling the door open, she rushed to the stairwell and started after Train and the others. Jenos closed his eyes, straining his ears to hear her heels clicking down the stairs.

Once he could hear her heels no more, the mahogany-haired man turned his attention back to Li; a smirk crossing his lips,

"Well, you heard her, Li. Looks like I can't die until she _says_ I can."

"Hmm," the raven-haired man said; smiling back deviously,

"That does pose a _problem_, now doesn't it?"

Jenos clenched his fist tightly; Excelion's orichalcum strings pulled taut. Li grinned; Seiren seeming to dance around him.

After a few moments of intense silence, the two forces charged at one another; weapons at the ready...

~ø~

Rinslet sighed deeply as she reached the bottom of the staircase; the others a few feet away. She glanced back up the stairwell; a hard lump developing in her throat,

"Jenos...you'd better not do anything stupid."

"Damn!"

Eve tensed; clenching her fists tightly,

"What is it, Train?"

"Erasers," he began, peering cautiously through the exit window,

"Tons of 'em."

Rinslet scowled as she stepped up next to him and frowned,

"Wow, you're right. There _are_ a lot of them. So, what're we gonna do about it?"

Eve bit her lip as she glanced over at the unconscious boy on Train's shoulder; the chestnut-haired man sighing,

"I don't know. I can't really fight and think about this kid's safety at the same time. I'll be a sitting duck if I run out there with him-"

"But we can't leave him behind!"

Eve shrieked; shaking her head furiously,

"If we do, he'll die! And I won't do that!"

"Chill out, Princess! I didn't say anything about leaving him behind. Besides..."

He sighed; adjusting the boy on his arm a bit as he tightened his hand on his gun,

"I owe him for saving you. What kind of guy would I be if I left him here to rot?"

The girl sighed in minor relief, but remained tense. After a moment of silence, there was a cough to their right and Leon stepped up beside them,

"I'll take him."

Eve straightened, her ruby-eyes wide in surprise as the boy fired up his hover board. Train raised an eyebrow as the periwinkle-haired boy motioned for him to pass Merrick over and shook his head,

"Really? Are you sure you can do it?"

"Why wouldn't I be sure?"

The boy snipped; sighing as he glanced over at Eve,

"He may be an idiotic jerk...but you're right. He saved Eve's life. And I owe him for that."

The girl gasped as she watched Leon hoist the boy onto his back and he hopped up onto his hover board. Train nodded shortly and placed one hand on the door,

"Meet us at the train station. We'll cover your escape. And be careful, all right? Make sure none of Warren's goons follow you."

The boy nodded; pulling his goggles up over his eyes,

"Got it."

"Leon."

He glanced down at Eve silently; sighing deeply as she offered him a warm smile,

"Thank you."

Without a word to her, he turned back to Train; his eyes narrowing seriously,

"Whenever you're ready."

Nodding silently, Train grabbed hold of the door knob and threw the door wide open...

~ø~

Diving to his left, Jenos ducked and rolled beneath Li's Seiren. He slashed a hand through the air; Excelion's wires catching the ribbon in it's grasp,

"So...how long should we continue this for, y'think?"

"As long as it takes."

He grinned, his hazel eyes gleaming deviously,

"_'As long as it takes'_, huh?"

Li narrowed his eyes; his grip on Seiren tightening,

"Precisely."

He yanked back the ribbon; letting it dance around him a moment as Jenos righted himself,

"As long as it takes for me to end your life."

The mahogany-haired man laughed shortly,

"Aww, you're not _really_ gonna kill me, are you? Li?"

The raven-haired man remained silent as he sent Seiren flying forward at the man.

Jenos tensed.

~ø~

_BANG BANG BANG._

Three Erasers fell.

_CRA-CRACK._

Two more.

Train whistled as Rinslet again slapped her whip against the ground,

"Pretty good with that whip, Rins!"

"And just what are you implying, huh!?"

She snapped it a few inches away from him; his eye twitching as it came within centimetres of his nose,

"In case you hadn't noticed, we're still outnumbered here!"

The chestnut-haired man groaned, muttering softly,

"Oh, like I was implying _that_..."

"Just get back to work, already!"

Eve stepped forward, narrowing her eyes at the remaining Erasers,

"I'll handle them."

She stepped out in front of them; her hair flying up around her. A slew of fists formed from her flowing locks as she charged forward; the fists connecting with every opponent standing before her. They all fell to the ground, moaning and writhing in pain. She turned back to the other two as her hair returned to normal; her eyes hardened in determination,

"C'mon! We have to hurry!"

~ø~

Leon cursed as he flew down the street; the unconscious boy on his back beginning to weigh him down,

"Maybe...this wasn't such a good idea after all."

Glancing back, his eyes widened as he spotted a black car speeding up from behind him. The passenger's window rolled down as it gained speed and from within it's depths, the boy spotted a man with dusty, blonde hair. The man turned to look at them; raising his crossbow to fire. Leon's eyes widened and he quickly flew upward to avoid the shot,

_'Shit!'_

He felt it connect to the bottom of the board and the boy grunted; nearly losing his balance as he sailed forward away from the car. The man continued to fire at them as they sped faster away. Leon gasped as an arrow shot upward in his path and he reared back suddenly; his eyes widening as he felt Merrick slip out of his grasp. He spun around to see the boy plummeting toward the concrete,

_'Double shit!'_

He sailed back down, swallowing deeply as he drew dangerously nearer to the car. Reaching out, he was able to grab the boy around the waist; the two now sailing straight for the car. Quickly, he jerked upward; the bottom of the board skidding across the car's roof as they flew onward. The man with the crossbow cursed as he turned and aimed at them again; preparing to fire. They turned sharply around the corner moments later; his arrows missing them by a hair. He cursed; lowering his crossbow and turning to the driver,

"Those two are no longer important. Head back to the hotel where the Number X is."

"Yes sir."

~ø~

Jenos again leapt away; cursing softly as the ribbon snagged his coat,

"Dammit! And this suit was Ramani, too! Do you realise how much this thing costs!?"

"You shouldn't have worn it into battle, then."

He jabbed at the man again; Jenos growling to himself,

"Damn, you're annoying."

"I apologise."

The man smirked at that; slashing his Excelion through the air,

"I'm _sure_!"

The wires sparkled as they sailed passed Li's face; leaving a deep cut in their wake. The sapphire-eyed man smirked in return,

"Very good, Number VII. I forgot how skilled a fighter you are."

Jenos pulled the wires back, smirking,

"So, it would seem."

"Then, you shall have to forgive me for what I'm about to do."

The mahogany haired man gasped as Li reached upward and grabbed hold of Excelion's wires barehanded. He tensed,

"What the-!?"

Li then pulled back on the wires; sending Jenos flying toward him. With a wave of his free hand, he sent Seiren forward.

Jenos straightened, his eyes widening in horror as the ribbon tore through more than just his Ramani jacket...

~ø~

Train sighed as they raced down the street; glancing around cautiously,

"Looks like no one's after us!"

Rinslet nodded; her whip still ready at her side,

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we're out of the woods, yet!"

Eve straightened as she kept her gaze forward; calling back to Train,

"Is that the station up there?"

The chestnut-haired man nodded shortly as they reached the crosswalk and slowed down a bit,

"That's it!"

The blonde sped up her pace, Train raising an eyebrow as he and Rinslet hurried after her,

"Princess, wait up!"

The girl raced across the street and quickly tore up the walk to the station doors. Throwing open the doors, she ran through the grand entrance hall toward the station platform as fast as she could; her shoes clacking against the marble flooring as she ran. She could hear Train and Rinslet calling from behind her, but she kept running. Heading through another set of doors, she reached the platform; her breaths fast and heavy. She glanced about furious, her hair catching the winds as her eyes darted about the area,

"Leon!? Merrick!?"

Train and Rinslet barreled through the doors behind her; both slowing down as they kept an eye on her. She walked down the platform; glancing to and fro. She peered through crowds of people; looking for that familiar blue hair or the silvery glint of a pendant,

"Leon!? Merrick!?"

Her pace became frantic. She stopped a moment on the last platform and glanced around; her eyes fearful. Had they not made it here? Were they both injured somewhere? Even worse...had they been killed? She clenched her fists tightly; her eyes darting around in panic,

"Leon!? Merrick!? Leo-!?"

"Will you shut up, already? Jeez, I'm right here."

She glanced to her left and sighed in relief. Sitting on a nearby bench was none other than Leon. She frowned as he stood and walked around the corner; hopping down off the platform,

"Your boy toy's over here. I didn't think it'd be a good idea for him to be out in the open."

She hurried after him, rushing down the steps and around the side to look under the platform. Sure enough, there lay Merrick; sound asleep with Leon's jacket over him. The periwinkle-haired boy shrugged as she went over to him; shoving his hands in his pockets,

"Figured if I set him up like a hobo, people would leave him alone. Not that it's much of a stretch for him..."

The girl smiled; brushing the boy's bangs from his face,

"Thanks for protecting him, Leon. I knew I could count on you."

The periwinkle-haired boy blushed as he watched her fuss over Merrick; a silent fury building within him,

"No, problem."

"Is everybody okay over here?"

Train hurried down the steps and stood next to Leon,

"You made it here all right?"

The boy coughed; scratching his neck nervously,

"Y-Yeah. Everything went off without a hitch."

"Good," the chestnut-haired man began. He stepped over to Merrick and carefully pulled him out from under the platform; hoisting him again over his shoulder,

"Then, let's get out of here. The train to Sangeles leaves in 15 minutes."

~ø~

The walls began to billow strangely around them and Merrick stood; frowning in confusion,

"What the hell was that?"

**"Get out of here while you still can, kid."**

He spun back around; looking to Sven in concern. The man sounded strange. Kneeling back down, he shook his head and went to place a hand on his shoulder,

"No way. I'm not leaving you like this."

He frowned. His hand met nothing. Gasping, the boy glanced down to see that his hand had passed through the man's shoulder entirely. He pulled his hand away; looking back at Sven's face. The man's image was fading.

The room billowed again and grinding his teeth, Merrick kept his eyes on Sven,

"What's happening to you!?"

**"It doesn't matter..."**

"What're you talking about!? It _does_ matter!"

Sven straightened as the boy somehow managed to grab hold of his hair and yank it. The boy glared him angrily in the eye, having to shout over the strange, roaring _'whoosh' _that was now filling the room,

"It matters because _EVE_ matters! And _you_ matter to _her_! Without you, she's lost! Don't you get that!? She's been looking everywhere for you! She _needs_ you!"

Sven frowned; startled,

**"How do you...know Eve?"**

"How I know her isn't important! You staying alive _is_! You have to hold on! She's coming to find you! She and Taxi!"

The jade-haired man raised an eyebrow; confused,

**"Taxi?"  
**"You know what? Whatever! All that matters is that she's looking for you! You're the closest thing to a father she has...you can't just give up here without a fight."

The room continued to billow and soon the walls began to glow. Merrick winced at the brightness of the light. He couldn't keep his eyes open any longer and he cursed softly; crying out into the white,

"Sven!? SVEN!"

~ø~

He stood over him, gazing down silently. Taking off his coat, Li sighed deeply; tossing it over top of Jenos' motionless body,

"I'm sorry."

He then turned and started down the hall.

"S-Stop..."

Li halted and glanced back as Jenos pushed himself up off of the ground. Covered in cuts and jagged gashes, the man gasped for air. He clamped a hand on his stomach; the blood still pouring out. He smirked, laughing weakly,

"We only just started. Don't...tell me you're leaving...already."

Sighing, the raven-haired man turned back around and calmly walked up to the ravaged man. Coughing up a glob of blood, he weakly raised Excelion to strike; Li grabbing him by the wrist. The man sighed,

"I had hoped it would not come to this, Number VII."

He thrust his hand forward, forcing it into his stomach wound. Jenos gagged, his body becoming rigid with pain. Promptly, he dropped the man; watching silently as he collapsed on the floor,

"You can't win. Or did you not learn anything from our last two battles?"

Jenos coughed, grinning weakly,

"You...just got...lucky."

"Oh? But I thought Lady Luck was on _your_ side."

He closed his eyes, snorting painfully,

"Yeah, well...it's like you said...Li. She's a fickle...fickle bitch."

Again, Li turned away from him, sighing deeply,

"Just so you know, Number VII. I bear no ill will toward you. Infact...I've always thought quite highly of you."

"Is that so...?"

He then started down the hall; Jenos smirking. In his hand, he held Li's cellphone...

~ø~

Rinslet gasped as the phone in her pocket began to vibrate and she stopped; pulling it out,

"Guys, wait a second."

They all stopped; Train turning to her with a frown,

"You expecting a call?"

She shook her head and flipped it open,

"No."

She put it to her ear; pressing talk,

"Hello?"

**"R-Rinslet?"**

Her eyes widened.

~ø~

**"Jenos!? Are you all right!? Where's Li?"**

The man coughed harshly; a glob of blood flying from his lips,

"He's...at the end of the hall. Listen, Rins...I don't have much...time."

His vision began to blacken as he watched the raven-haired man stop at the end of the hallway. He felt around in his pocket; then spun around to face Jenos. He spotted the phone in the man's grasp and cursed.

~ø~

**"Les Ses Leura."**

She nodded; Train frowning as she staggered to a nearby light post,

"Rinslet?"

Leaning against the post, she shook her head,

"Wh-What about it?"

**"That...was the last place I tracked...Warren's movements. Les Ses Leura. Tell...Heartnet."**

"I-I will."

**"Good...and Rins?"**

The lavender-haired woman straightened hand hovering at her heart,

"Y-Yes...Jenos?"

~ø~

He grunted as he pulled the trigger from his blood-stained jacket; a tear streaming down his cheek as he smiled,

"I've always loved you."

_CLICK._

~ø~

Rinslet straightened as the dial tone sounded in her ear and she gasped; shaking her head,

"Jenos! No! What're you doing!?"

The others watched her in confusion as she frantically pressed redial.

**"We are sorry. The number you are trying to reach has been disconnected. Please hang up and try again."**

The woman let out a scream; smashing the button repeatedly,

"You idiot! Don't you dare do this to me! I told you if you died I'd never forgive you! Jenos! Jenos!"

~ø~

Li smashed the phone under his boot; Jenos grinning up at him,

"I bet...you didn't anticipate that...did you?"

The man continued to glare down at him. He laughed,

"Now...Heartnet and the others will find...Vollfied...and put a stop to this 'new era' of yours..."

He weakly brought the trigger up; a devilish smile crossing his lips,

"And now...as I said before. It's time...we finished this...once and for all."

Li's eyes widened as he pressed down on the button; a white flash filling his vision. Jenos closed his eyes; dropping the trigger as he was completely enveloped in light,

_'Rinslet...I'm sorry.'_

~ø~

Train frowned as she continued her frantic rant; stepping toward her in concern,

"Rins? Rins, what's wrong-?"

There was a bright flash of light, then; followed by a loud boom. A gust of wind blew passed them as they all glanced upward at the enormous fireball filling the sky. Eve gasped; straightening as Rinslet fell to her knees.

The woman shook her head sadly; her voice cracking with despair,

"Jenos, you stupid...why did you have to...?"

She held the phone to her heart; a tear gently splashing against the screen.

~ø~

Emilio Lowe sighed as he watched the building explode from afar. Taking out his cell, he dialed _their_ number and placed the phone to his ear. An unsteady voice answered,

**"Hello?"**

"Mr. Warren," Lowe began, gazing at the burning building,

"It's Lowe. I have news."

**"Well? What is it?"**

"It's about Number X, sir. He's just been defeated."

**"...I see. Come back at once. We'll need to regroup."**

The blonde-haired man nodded shortly,

"Yes, sir. I'm on my way."

He snapped his phone shut.

~ø~

Warren sighed deeply as he hung up his phone and leaned back in his chair. He closed his eyes.

"Come get me, Daddy!"

_ The little boy ran around the yard; giggling all the while. He glanced back; a sly grin tugging at his lips. His mother stood in the doorway; watching them play with a warm smile on her face. Smirking, he ran forward at the boy and lifted him into the air. The little boy squealed; kicking his feet as his father swung him around. He then turned the boy to face him; tossing him up a few times. Upon the third catch, he pulled the boy close and kissed his cheek, _  
_"Oh, do you know how much I love you? Do you?"_  
_The boy giggled, his mahogany hair fluttering about in the cool autumn breeze. He hugged the boy tightly._

_ "You know...you remind me of him, Li."_

_ Lin Xiao Li tensed as the raven-haired man turned to face him,_  
_"Who?"_  
_Warren sighed deeply; a painful smile pulling at his lips,_  
_"My son. If he were alive today...I'm sure he would be just like you."_  
_He then stepped past Li and over to the lime-haired man fastened to the wall behind him,_  
_"You asked me earlier why I would do this. Something so horrible as taking a parent away from their child...?"_  
_ He turned back to Li; his eyes glowing dangerously,_  
_"I 'm doing this so that no one ever has to feel the way I felt when I lost my son. So, that no parent ever has to see their child be lowered into the unforgiving ground. This world is cold. This world is corrupt. And if I could have things my way...if I could fix it... then maybe I could spare someone that pain. Isn't that what Chronos is all about?"_  
_He then smiled; extending a hand to the young man,_  
_"Join us Li," Warren began, another man stepping up behind him. It was Number III, Emilio Lowe. _  
_ He turned his gaze back to the man's extended hand, remaining silent. Warren smiled,_  
_"United we can begin a new era...an era where pain and suffering will become a thing of the past."_  
_Hesitating for a moment, Li took a glance up at Sven; then smiled,_  
_"It...would be my pleasure, sir."_

Warren sighed, taking off his glasses to rub his eyes,

"And just when I'd finally begun to trust you, Li...you had to go and get yourself killed."

After a moment, he put his glasses back on and lowered his head; his voice cold and emotionless,

"How unfortunate."

TAT TAT TAT.

The man coughed and quickly stood; turning for the door,

"Yes?"

The door creaked open slowly and another man with black hair came in. He pushed up his spectacles; a grin slowly spreading across his lips.

"I'm here with your next treatment, Jonas."

Warren nodded, sitting back down in his chair. The man stepped over to him; his pure white lab coat flapping a little as he walked. He took out a syringe, and after cleaning up a spot on his arm, jabbed the needle in. Jonas winced; the sound of his son's ever distant laughter echoing in his head as the needle's contents seeped into his veins,  
"Th-Thank you...Kanzaki."

The bespectacled doctor stood up; glancing down at Warren with a malicious smirk,  
"No, Jonas...it is _I_ who should be thanking_ you_."

He then turned and walked out of the room; chuckling quietly to himself...


	39. XXXV

**A/N: Not nearly as epic as last chapter, but I can't keep going through and rewriting things. *sighs* Hopes it will satisfy for now. Things will get epic again later, I promise. :3**

**

* * *

  
**

**XXXV**

Train sighed as he leaned back in his chair; placing his hands behind his head. It had been a few hours since the train had departed from Stock Town. He glanced over at the blonde across the car; raising an eyebrow,

"_He_ still out?"

She nodded, brushing the bangs from _his_ face.

The _'he'_ they'd been referring to was the unconscious boy using her lap as his pillow.

The chestnut-haired man yawned and laid back across his seat,

"That's probably for the best. At least one of us is getting some sleep in."

Eve nodded, sighing softly,

"How's Rinslet?"

"Oh, you know _her_. She's probably throwing temper tantrums in her _first class_ cabin, right now. Leon's lucky he bailed."

The blonde scowled.

_"I'll cover your guys' escape...."_

_ ----_

_ Handing Merrick over to her, the periwinkle-haired boy hopped onto his hoverboard and slid his goggles on,_

_"I'll lead them south from here. They'll never know you're headed to Sangeles."_

_"You sure you wanna do that, kid? It's pretty dangerous."_

_The boy grinned,_

_"What? You think I'm not used to danger?"_

_ He started away and she called to him,_

_"Leon!"_

_Pausing, he turned back to face her a moment. She bit her lip and adjusted the wounded boy in her arms,_

_"Please...be careful."_

_Leon snorted at that; offering a sly smirk,_

_"Whatever."_

_ ----_

A long silence reigned over them, Eve sighing deeply.

"I'm sorry, Princess."

She straightened, glancing at Train curiously. His hair was shadowed by his eyes.

Frowning, Eve raised a eyebrow at him,

"What about?"

He sighed deeply; staring blankly at the ceiling,

"You wanted to look for Sven as badly as I did; hell, maybe _more._ And I didn't let you."

She bowed her head as he continued,

"I was trying so hard to be responsible for you...to look at things the way _he_ would. _He'd_ have never wanted you in danger. So, that's why I made you stay with Annette. That was wrong. If I'd just followed my gut and let you come along...then we wouldn't be in this mess, now..."

They were both silent for a moment; the only sound in the room being that of Merrick's light snoring.

"Train?"

He glanced over at her, raising an eyebrow curiously,

"Yeah, Princess?"

She bit her lips tightly, sighing,

"Do you...do you think we'll ever find Sven?"

He smiled.

~ø~

_"Yeah. I know we will."_

The lab assistant sighed deeply as he reached the man's room and glanced around. Swallowing hard, he stepped inside and shut the door behind him. He then glanced down at the bed before him. The man lying in it did not look well.

Hurrying over to his bed side, he took a deep breath and carefully removed the ventilation mask from the man's mouth,

"M-Mr. Vollfied? Can you hear me?"

The man was unresponsive. The lab assistant gulped again, glancing around nervously. If Warren found him here, he'd kill him. Though, then again, he'd probably kill him once this whole conquest was over anyway. Gently, he patted the man's thinning face; a bead of sweat trailing down his cheek,

"M-Mr. Vollfied?"

His eyes fluttered open lightly; the blonde-haired man nearly leaping in joy,

"H-Hello, sir! This is the first time I've ever really gotten to speak with you, i-isn't it?"

The jade-haired man frowned at him; remaining silent. The lab assistant smiled sheepishly; rubbing the back of his neck,

"O-Oh...right. You don't really have the strength to talk...do you?"

Taking a deep breath, the young man knelt down at his bedside; glaring him intently in the eye,

"D-Do you know why I'm here...sir?"

Sven stared at him a minute, then weakly nodded to the laboratory beyond his room. The man shook his head shortly,

"N-no. Not this time. Th-This time...I'm here to help you."

Sven raised an eyebrow silently as the blonde pulled out a cell phone. The lab assistant sighed as he flipped it open and let Sven take a look at it,

"I stole it from Warren's office. When he finds out...he'll have my head."

The jade-haired man frowned in confusion. He smiled at that, sighing,

"But...in order for this to work. I need your help, sir."

He raised his gaze from the phone, gazing Sven directly in the eye,

"I know you're weak and can't really talk at all...but...I-I need you to give me...Mr. Heartnet's number."

Sven's eyes widened in shock.

"If you can do that for me, I'll call him right away! I'll tell him the coordinates of this place and help him get you out of here safely."

He turned the keypad toward Sven and pulled the man's skeletal hand toward it,

"All you need to do is punch in the number."

Sven gazed down at the keypad, his eyes narrowing. It took all of the strength he could muster just to move his wrist...

~ø~

-----

_"__**How do you...know Eve?**__"_

_ "All that matters is that she's looking for you! And she needs you! You're the closest thing to a father she has...you can't just give up here without a fight."_

_"Sven!? SVEN!!"_

_ -----_

Merrick groaned as he slowly opened his eyes and groggily looked around. This was not the Dawson Street Church... nor was it the strange white room where he had seen Sven. This place was odd with it's black ceiling and red walls. The seat beneath him felt like leather. The strangest part was that this place felt like it was moving even though he was staying still.

_'Where...?'_

"Good. You're awake."

He glanced over at the seat across from him. There sat the chestnut-haired man from earlier. He sat up; wincing painfully as he felt a sharp sting in his gut. Train sighed deeply; shaking his head,

"You really should lay back down, kid. The rest will do you some good."

He ignored the man's suggestion and sat up completely; slumping in the corner,

"Where's--?"

"Li'l Princess? She's in the john, right now. She'll be back in a few minutes."

"O-Oh. Okay."

The boy silenced. He held his wound carefully; taking deep breaths to ease the ache. It didn't help much.

"Hey."

He glanced over at Train; raising an eyebrow at the man tossed him a small, white bottle,

"What's this?"

"Aspirin. You look like you could use some right about now."

Merrick straightened; offering him a wary smile as he carefully opened the container,

"Th-Thanks."

_SILENCE._

Train sighed, placing his arms behind his head,

"You care about her an awful lot, don't you?"

The muddy-haired boy raised an eyebrow and swallowed four aspirin,

"Huh?"

"Princess. You let that Warren guy punch a hole right through you just to save her. Pretty noble, considering your background..."

He coughed, blushing slightly,

"Well, yeah...! What was I supposed to do? Let her be killed?"

There was a long, silent pause. Train smiled. This boy really _was_ a lot like Sven; strangely enough.

Merrick took a deep breath and turned his gaze to the window. It was so awkward sitting here with him; the man who'd tried to ring his neck not so long ago.

"You know...you're not bad, kid."

The boy frowned, raising an eyebrow at him curiously as he stood. Stretching, the chestnut-haired man went over to the door. It slid open as he reached it and he smiled,

"Hey, there Princess! You're just in time."

Eve gasped softly as Train stepped past her; spotting Merrick in the corner. They stared at each other silently and the man grinned; quietly shutting the door behind him.

Groaning, he rubbed the tiredness from his eyes and glanced up; spotting a lavender-haired woman by the window. Rinslet scowled as Train stepped toward her; her arms folded,

"He's awake now, I take it."

"Yep," the man began, leaning back against the window beside her,

"He just woke up. I thought he and Princess could use a minute alone."

The lavender-haired woman scowled,

"I see."

_SILENCE._

"It's not your fault, you know. What Hazard did...he did because he wanted to. You couldn't have stopped him."

He put a hand on her arm and sighed deeply. Looking at her eyes...at the expression on her face...there was nothing he could say to ease that pain. Lightly patting her shoulder, he stepped on past her and toward the restroom,

"There was nothing you could've done to change his mind. Don't be so hard on yourself...okay?"

He headed into the restroom; the door swinging shut behind him. Rinslet sighed deeply; lowering her head.

_'"I've always loved you."'_

She closed her eyes,

_'Idiot.'_

~ø~

Merrick straightened as Eve started over to him; his eyes wide,

"Eve..."

The ruby-eyed girl stopped as she reached him; her voice soft,

"You...you're awake."

He shrugged a little and placed a hand behind his head,

"Yep! Looks like it!"

_**SLAM.**_

The boy winced as he received a hair fist to the cheek and bowed his head; his bangs shadowing his eyes. She clenched her fists tightly at her sides,

"Why?"

He remained silent. She continued; her voice beginning to crack and waver,

"Why did you just run off like that!? Why didn't you let me know where you were!?"

He smiled a little; wincing as a sharp pain surged through his stomach,

"That..._would_ defeat the purpose of running off, wouldn't it?"

"Stop trying to be funny."

She sat down beside him; her hands wrung together in her lap. An awkward silence hung about them; Eve swallowing hard,

"I...I was worried about you."

He straightened. She shut her eyes tightly,

"The way you just disappeared like that....it...it reminded me of...when Sven..."

His eyes widened as she began shaking. A tear slowly glided down her cheek as she continued,

"I looked for you all over Champais...but you weren't there anymore. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know where to find you...or if you were okay. I just knew you were gone. I didn't even know if I was ever going to see you again..."

Sighing deeply, Merrick leaned back in his seat, gazing blankly at the ceiling,

"I'm sorry--"

"_Are you_?"

He cringed inwardly. She sounded so hurt. He sighed.

The ruby-eyed girl straightened as he suddenly leaned over and wrapped his arms around her tightly. His voice was so soothing as he whispered in her ear,

"I'm sorry."

Eve smiled and closed her eyes. She slid her arms around him slowly; being careful not to injure him any further than he was already. She buried her face in his shoulder; her voice wavering with sorrow,

"Thank you for coming back..."

He tightened his embrace on her; running his hand through her hair silently. It was apparent to him now, more than it ever was, that he couldn't leave this girl, either. He could never leave her, ever again.

~ø~

He weakly pushed the phone down. The lab assistant frowned, shaking his head furiously as the man turned away,

"Bu...But I don't understand. You want to get out of here, don't you!? You want to live, right!? The only way you can do that is if you call Heartnet! So, please call him--"

"You'll die."

The blonde-haired man straightened in surprise. The jade-haired man sighed, his voice raspy and soft,

"If I call.....you'll die."

"So _what_!?"

He grabbed the man's hand and slammed the phone down into it; closing his fingers around it,

"Once this is all over, Mr. Warren will kill me anyway! My life was over as soon as I met him! So, please...!!"

Sven closed his eyes, sighing again,

"I can't."

"But she _needs_ you!!"

He straightened; looking to the lab assistant in shock.

_'__**"It matter's because EVE matters!! And you matter to her!! Without you, she's lost!! Don't you get that!?"**__'_

The man stared back at him, his fists tightly clenching on the bed sheets,

"I heard you in your sleep. 'Eve', you said. She's the bioweapon, right?"

Sven silenced.

"That girl needs you, sir. What Mr. Warren intends to do with her? It's sick! He wants her dissected so that he can improve upon his own nanotechnology. She _needs_ someone there to protect her from him! She needs _you_!!"

Sven closed his eyes. What did this kid honestly think he could do for her? He hardly had the strength to keep his eyes open; let alone protect anyone.

The lab assistant growled at this and snatched the phone back; dialling hastily,

"Fine! If you won't do it...I'll do it myself!!"

He put the phone to his ear; Sven frowning in confusion,

"What...?"

**"Operator."**

"Yes, Operator," he began, his eyes narrowed in determination,

"I need you to get me the number...of Train Heartnet."

Sven's eyes widened.

_**"One moment, please."**_

~ø~

Train sighed as he turned on the faucet; letting it run for a moment.

_'"Train...do you think we'll ever find Sven?"'_

He sighed deeply. To be completely honest, he wasn't at all sure. He'd only told Eve '_yes_' because she'd needed to hear it. But with the way things were beginning to look...

He shook his head immediately. He couldn't afford to be thinking that way. They had to find Sven. They just had to. And at least they finally had a lead. Les Ses Leura. He growled softly. So, Sven was right in their own back yard. Had he been there all along? He couldn't be sure. Things were so muddled these days. He splashed his face with water. Gazing at himself in the mirror, he sighed again. He hadn't realised how visible his exhaustion had become.

_'Four years, almost five. Not to mention all of that stuff with Princess. And then there was...'_

He snarled. Jonas Warren. He seethed at that name. It was almost like having another Creed, but slightly _less_ maniacal and definitely _more_ aggravating. Creed had been a thorn in his side for only two years; Warren had been haunting both him and Eve for double that. He remembered back then, when Sven had first disappeared, he paid Creed a visit to make sure it hadn't been him. He'd tried to kill Sven once before, after all.

_'"You have nothing to worry about Black Cat..."'_

_ ----_

_ The emerald-haired woman said softly. Her eyes seemed so sad as she glanced down at the shadow sitting in the wheelchair before her. His eyes were completely dead. She sighed deeply, adjusting the blanket on his lap,_

_"He's of no threat to anyone, anymore."_

_Train glared down at him cautiously; swallowing hard. In the man's arms rested a small, toy train..._

_ ----_

He shivered. Creed had always been so creepy. Shaking his head, he started back for the hallway. It wouldn't be long before they reached Sangeles City. He just hoped Warren and his goons had taken Leon's bait.

_**BRRRRRRR. BRRRRRRRR.**_

The chestnut-haired man jumped as his phone suddenly began to ring and raised an eyebrow. Taking it out of his coat pocket, he frowned and placed it to his ear,

"Hello?"

**"H-Hello....is this Train Heartnet's phone?"**

"Yes," he began, thoroughly confused. Whoever it was, they sounded like they were twelve,

"Who's speaking?"

**"M-My name is Spencer Cleveland, sir. I-I'm Jonas Warren's personal lab assistant."**

~ø~

**"His personal lab assistant, huh?"**

Spencer swallowed hard, a bead of sweat trailing down his cheek,

"Y-Yessir."

**"Then, what are you talking to **_**me**_** for, kid? You got a death wish or something?"**

The blonde-haired man smiled nervously,

"W-Well, you've got that part, right..."

~ø~

Train frowned in confusion as the man continued,

**"I...I need you to save Mr. Vollfied. As quickly as possible."**

Train's eyes widened and he swallowed hard; a nervous smile crossing his lips,

"That supposed to be a joke?"

**"N-No, sir! No joke at all!"**

~ø~

**"Then how do you expect me to come save him if all I've got is nothing but Les Ses Leura to go on?"**

Spencer smiled, his bangs fluttering about his eyes as he jerked his head up,

"Oh! So, the information I gave that Number reached you!"

~ø~

**"Thank goodness! I wasn't sure if he would make it in time."**

The chestnut-haired man blinked,

"You mean...you were the one who told Hazard where Warren was?"

**"Y-Yes, sir. But that was a few months ago. The new lab is stationed in the heart of the Les Ses Leura forest."**

_'Les Ses Leura. That's exactly what Hazard told Rins just before he...'_

He grit his teeth.

~ø~

**"This is a trap, isn't it? You're trying to lure me all the way out there to get ambushed, right?"**

"No, sir," Spencer replied; fiercely shaking his head,,

"It's all true. We used to be stationed in Castoral City, beneath the main Chronos building, but after Mr. Hazard infilitrated the lab, Mr. Warren got nervous and had us moved here."

**"Are you the one who saved him? Hazard, I mean?"**

The blonde silenced.

~ø~

**"Y-Yes, sir. I-I was ordered to."**

"Ordered? By who?"

The man on the other end silenced. Train swallowed hard, his body tensing. He couldn't let this guy hang up. Not yet...

~ø~

**"Are you still there? Hello?"**

The lab assistant jumped, laughing nervously,

"Y-Yes! Sorry. I wasn't paying attention. Did you ask me something?"

**"Uh...nevermind. Forget I said anything."**

"If you say so, sir."

~ø~

Train frowned, listening intently as Spencer began to speak again,

**"I'll try and set up a day for you to get in. The security is really tight, everyone being Erasers and all, and I'd hate to see any of you get killed--"**

"Why?"

**"I-I'm sorry?"**

Train clenched his free fist tightly.

~ø~

**"Why are you helping me? What's in it for you?"**

Spencer smiled a little,

"Death most likely."

~ø~

**"Warren will kill me once he finds out I've contacted you...I'm sure of it. But I...I couldn't just stand back and watch anymore!"**

The chestnut-haired man straightened as he heard a stifled sob on the other end of the phone; his eyebrow raising in confusion,

_'Is he...is he crying?'_

**"He's a good man...he doesn't deserve any of this! He even tried to stop me from calling you...because he knew I'd be killed for it."**

"_'He'_," Train began, frowning in thought,

"Do you mean Sven? Is he there with you!?"

**"Y-Yes...sir."**

~ø~

Spencer straightened as he gazed down at the jade-haired man, his eyes welling with tears,

"But...he won't be for long...if you don't do something,_ now_."

~ø~

**"He's **_**dying**_**, Heartnet," **the man stated. Train's golden eyes widened.

**"That's why I called you. If you don't save him now, he's going to die!"**


	40. XXXVI

**A/N: Three chapters in a row! And NOT over the span of 5 months!! I'm on a roll!! :happy dance: Not too satisfied with this chapter either, but I have to keep the story moving at this point. -.-;**

**Well, enjoy! 8D**

* * *

**XXXVI**

Merrick groaned as he opened his eyes and yawned, glancing over at her with a frown,

"Did I pass out again?"

She nodded shortly, closed the book and turned to face him,

"You've been asleep for almost 20 minutes."

He blinked; smiling sheepishly as he sat up,

"Oops! Sorry about--"

The boy gasped suddenly; painfully clasping a hand to his wound. Eve straightened,

"Merrick!"

"I-I'm okay. Really..."

He leaned back after a moment or two, exhaling deeply. Glancing over at her he smiled a little; noting the concern on her face,

"Don't worry...I'm not dying on you, yet."

The blonde blushed; turning her head away,

"I-I wasn't worried. You're so full of yourself."

He grinned, groaning again. She leaned closer to him; quickly unbuttoning his shirt. He blushed feverishly as she pushed him back against the window; his voice squeaking as he screamed,

"Wh-What the hell are you doing!?"

"You're wound might've opened up again. I need to check it."

"And that requires you to tear my shirt off and slam me back against the wall!?"

"If you won't cooperate, it will. Now, hold still."

He swallowed hard as she began unwinding the bandages. The lower layers were slightly damp with blood, but luckily, the wound was still closed. She sighed in relief and smiled; tracing her fingers around the wound. Rinslet had done a good job with the sewing.

"So, uh...you mind putting my shirt back on, now?"

Eve cast her ruby eyes on him; straightening. The boy's face was stark white; save for the faint blush on his cheeks.

"What's wrong?"

He swallowed hard; trying his hardest not to look down,

"I..."

She frowned silently. He closed his eyes; still refusing to look. The girl blinked innocently.

"Oh, I get it."

_"You're squeamish."_

~ø~

**"He's **_**dying**_**, Heartnet. That's why I called you. If you don't save him now, he's going to die!"**

"What do you mean, 'he's dying'? What the hell did you people _do _to him!?"

Train shouted; propping himself up against the wall. The man on the other end began to stutter,

**"I-I-I--"**

"Let me talk to him."

~ø~

Spencer straightened, turning his gaze to Sven,

"I-I'm sorry?"

**"I want to talk to him. Let me talk to Sven."**

He swallowed hard.

~ø~

**"I...I don't know if you can, sir."**

"Don't give me that crap!!"

He punched the wall with his fist; his eyes burning angrily,

"You said earlier that he was _there_ with you! Put him on the phone, _now_!"

**"B-But he may not have the strength--"**

"I DON'T CARE!!"

He punched the wall again; his blood boiling in rage,

"If you don't let me talk to him, right now, when I find you, you'll have more to worry about than Jonas Warren!"

**"Uh-uh...I...B-But--!!"**

_"I'll talk to him..."_

Train straightened at the sound of a voice coming in from the background. From what he could hear, the person sounded horribly weak. He tensed,

_'Could that've been...?'_

~ø~

Spencer straightened as the jade-haired man gasped for air. The man couldn't be off the ventilator for long. He must've been reaching his limits.

"Are...are you sure, sir?"

He nodded silently. Swallowing hard, the blonde-haired man nodded, laying the phone down beside Sven's ear,

"All right...here you are."

~ø~

Train tensed as the sound of laboured breathing came through the receiver and a moment later he heard a weak, yet familiar voice,

**"Train...?"**

The chestnut-haired man smiled; his heart leaping with relief,

"Hey, there, Svenny-baby...you doin' all right?"

~ø~

Sven laughed, coughing a little,

"I'm not...your 'Svenny-baby'."

~ø~

Train grinned; grinding his teeth together. He could hear it in his voice. What that 'Spencer' guy had said was true. Sven was dying. And if he didn't do something soon...

**"Is Eve....?"**

"Y-Yeah! We found her. Princess is just fine."

**"G-Good....I was worried that Warren might...."**

~ø~

He gasped again. It was getting harder for him to breathe. Spencer stood a few feet away; fidgeting nervously,

"M-Mr. Vollfied? Are you all right?"

He ignored the man's question; instead clearing his throat,

"Train...I want you to listen to me....and listen carefully."

~ø~

Train nodded, taking a deep breath,

"Shoot."

~ø~

_**'"All that matters is that she's looking for you! And she needs you! You're the closest thing to a father she has...you can't just give up here without a fight."'**_

But he had already made his decision. If the people he cared for were to stay alive and safe, then he had to do this. If Eve was ever supposed to live a normal, happy life, this was the only way. Even if she would be sad at first, eventually, her life would go on. All of their lives would go on...they'd have to.

_Without_ him.

~ø~

**"Don't bother...trying to save me."**

He straightened, his eyes widening.

~ø~

** "Stop trying to be noble, idiot! I told you before that'd I'd get you the hell out of there. Don't make me repeat myself!!"**

Sven weakly clenched his fists; a painful gasp escaping him,

"But...Warren--"

**"I don't give a rat's ass about **_**Jonas Warren**_**! Next time I see him, I'm planting a boot in his damn face!"**

~ø~

**"....No."**

"Why not!?"

The chestnut-haired man leaned back against the wall; sinking to the floor as his friend's ever-weakening voice carried over the line,

**"You know why..."**

"And you know I won't settle for that _bullshit _excuse. You're my partner, dammit!! And the closest thing Princess has to a dad! Do you honestly think we're gonna settle with just going on without you?"

~ø~

**"We're falling apart here, Sven.....we need you. Eve more than anyone."**

The jade-haired man swallowed hard; trying his hardest to keep his sadness from building up. This was for the best. Was there anyway to show them that?

~ø~

**"I don't want either of you dying over me...not when I'm already...."**

"Stop talking like that! Nobody's dying, especially not you! You got that!? We've worked too hard and too long to get you back..."

**"But...if Eve--"**

"Don't worry about that!"

~ø~

"**Princess'll be fine!"**

Sven scowled thoughtfully; closing his eyes. His mind was starting to get a little fuzzy.

~ø~

**"How...can you be sure?"**

The chestnut-haired man smiled; swallowing hard,

"Have I ever given you a reason to doubt me?"

**"**_**Well**_**...."**

"Hey! I'm serious!"

He could hear the man laughing weakly on the other end. They both went silent for a moment, Train sighing deeply after a few seconds passed,

"Hey, Sven...?"

**"...what?"**

~ø~

**"If you've got enough strength left...do you think you could talk to someone for a minute?"**

Sven's eyes widened. He knew exactly who the man was referring to.

"Even if I don't...put her on."

~ø~

** "Please...."**

Train smiled at that and headed back down the hall. He slid the door open upon reaching their car and was surprised to be met with loud shrieking.

"YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH ME _ANYMORE_!!"

"Well, if you wouldn't fidget, this would go a lot more smoothly."

"Smoothly!? _Smoothly_!?! Every time you touch me, it hurts!"

"You're such a baby. Now, let me button your shirt up."

Train swallowed hard; a bead of sweat trailing down his cheek as Sven's voice rang in loud and clear,

**"What the **_**hell **_**was that?"**

The chestnut-haired man coughed; speaking through gritted teeth,

"Nothing, nothing. Just cool it, would you?"

He stepped up behind Eve; sighing deeply,

"Princess?"

She looked away from the scowling boy in front of her and back at the chestnut-haired man; raising a curious eyebrow,

"What is it?"

He smiled, handing her his cell,

"Do you have a minute? There's someone here who wants to talk to you."

Carefully, Eve took the phone in her hand and placed it to her ear; frowning curiously,

"Hello?"

**"Eve...?"**

The blonde gasped softly; her ruby eyes widening. Merrick straightened at the change in her disposition,

"Eve? You okay?"

She swallowed hard; her mouth quickly drying,

"Is it...Is it really _you_ this time...?"

~ø~

** "Sven...?"**

The jade-haired man smiled, closing his eyes lightly.

"Y-Yeah..."

~ø~

** "It's me."**

At that, the girl bit her lip; her shoulders beginning to shudder. Merrick frowned; raising a concerned eyebrow,

"Eve--?"

He glanced up as Train placed a hand on his shoulder. The man shook his head. It was then that he realised it.

_'That must be...'_

"Where are--"

**"Don't worry about that. Train...will fill you in later, I'm sure."**

She nodded shortly and clamped a hand around her knee,

"O-Okay..."

**"I heard...from Train that you'd been....kidnapped. Are you all right?"**

~ø~

**"Yeah. I'm okay. All of that was just a misunderstanding."**

He gasped painfully; his heart beginning to pound from exertion,

"I-I see..."

**"Sven...."**

"Y-Yeah, Eve?"

**"I....I miss you!"**

~ø~

She tensed, her body beginning to tremble. Tears poured from her eyes like rain from the sky and she let out a sob; no longer able to hold it in,

"I miss you _so _much!!"

~ø~

His eyes widened as she continued,

**"I...I wanted to look for you so badly!! I even hired someone to help me, but I still...I still couldn't find you!! It's been so hard!! Everything's been so hard!!"**

He could hear her sobbing on the other end. Opening his mouth to say something, he gasped; a lump developing in his throat. He swallowed hard as she continued; narrowing his eyes,

**"Sven...I **_**need **_**you!!"**

~ø~

Merrick bowed his head as her fit continued; closing his eyes,

_'Eve...'_

She heard him sigh; desperately trying to halt her tears so that she could hear him further.

**"I...I miss you, too...Eve."**

At that, she smiled; her lips quivering.

~ø~

He gasped for more air; his vision blackening as he felt a tear escape his eye,

"And I promise, when I get back...we're gonna go see the fireworks in Cannes...just like I said we would."

~ø~

**"And this time...it's a promise I'll...keep."**

The girl smiled, furiously wiping the tears from her eyes,

"You mean it?"

**"Of course I do."**

~ø~

**"Sven...promise me just one more thing?"**

He smiled; his breath beginning to slow,

"Anything..."

~ø~

Eve swallowed hard, her fist clenching and unclenching in her lap,

"Promise me...you'll hold on until I get there."

Merrick straightened as she continued; his eye wide in surprise at her words,  
"I know it's hard for you...and you must be really tired...but...I'll save you! I promise! Just wait for me, okay?"

~ø~

"Yeah," he began, his voice growing weaker,

"I promise...I'll be waiting."

His smile faded as his eyes fluttered shut; the machines in the room going haywire.

~ø~

Eve gasped as she heard the sound of alarms going off and straightened; her eyes wide with tears,

"Sven!? Sven!!? Are you all right!?! Sven!!?!"

Train straightened as the girl became frantic and he tensed,

"Princess, what's happening!?"

"It's Sven," she began, shaking her head furiously,

"Something's wrong!! He won't say anything!"

~ø~

Spencer straightened; letting out a shout as he ran to the man's aid,

"Mr. Vollfied!!"

As he reached the bed, he grabbed hold of the breathing mask and placed it back over Sven's mouth,

"Mr. Vollfied!! Mr. Vollfied, please answer!!"

The man's lips were already turning blue, and the bags beneath his eyes were continuing to darken.

Spencer clamped a hand to his forehead; beginning to panic,

"What should I do...? What should I do...!?"

"What should you do? My, that _is_ a question."

His eyes widened and he gasped; swallowing hard. His body went stiffened at the sound of a familiar voice and he closed his eyes; his initial shock soon giving into a painful sensation.

"Spencer, Spencer, Spencer. How did I _know_ it would come to this...?"

The blonde-haired man coughed harshly; blood splattering onto his lips. He glanced down at the spike sticking out of his chest; his eyes wide. Jonas threw him down and away from the Sven's bedside; the man collapsing in a heap on the floor. He then strode up to the bed, grabbing the cell phone on the man's pillow. The cries of a young woman met his ears,

**"Sven!!? Sven, are you okay!!?** **Answer me, please!!"**

~ø~

"Train! He's not answering!!"

Taking a deep breath, Train pulled the phone from her hands and swallowed hard. He could hear the machines going berserk in the background and he tensed; yelling into it as loud as possible,

"SVEN!?"

A cackle echoed back. He snarled,

"Warren."

**"Why, hello, Mr. Heartnet! It's good to hear from you, again."**

He clenched his fist tightly; gritting his teeth together,

"What happened to Sven?"

~ø~

The raven-haired man grinned as he adjusted the strap on Sven's air mask,

"He's...indisposed at the moment."

**"What's **_**that**_** supposed to mean!?"**

"Well, Mr. Heartnet," he began, smirking devilishly,

"I'll leave you to figure _that_ out on your own."

He crushed the phone in his hand.

~ø~

"WAIT!"

_**RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU.**_

Train cursed as he closed his phone; Eve straightening,

"Train? Is Sven...is Sven all right?"

The chestnut-haired man narrowed his eyes as he silently glared down at his cell. He swallowed hard,

"I...I don't know, Princess."

_**"I don't know."**_

~ø~

Warren sighed deeply as he turned and knelt down beside Spencer. The blonde-haired man coughed, his blood pooling on the floor beneath him.

"You little fool," the raven-haired man began, morphing his right hand into a blade,

"Did you honestly think I wouldn't figure out what you were doing?"

Spencer gagged, coughing again,

"It's not...that I didn't....think...you'd figure it out, but that...I...didn't care."

"Oh, you didn't care?"

The man sighed deeply, shaking his head,

"That's a shame. Just think of what your little brother will do when I tell him you said that. I mean...he's already lost his _blood_ relatives. To lose his _adopted_ family too, well...that will just devastate him."

Spencer grit his teeth together; his eyes burning with anger,

"You stay...the hell....away from Leon."

"And what will you do if I don't?"

The wounded man silenced; gagging up more blood as he turned his gaze to the floor. Warren smiled, raising his hand to strike,

"Farewell....my dear lab assistant."

_**SHLINK.**_


	41. XXXVII

**A/N: At first, I thought I'd rewrite this chapter as it seemed a little out of place to me...then I realised that I didn't know how to rewrite it. So I'm stuck with it. I hate writer's block.**

* * *

**XXXVII**

_Four Years Ago_

_They ran down the foggy alley; breath laboured and panicked. Something was chasing them. Upon reaching the end of the back way, they tripped over what appeared to be an empty beer bottle and tumbled into a set of aluminum trash cans fixed against a nearby wall. Pulling themselves up, they glanced back with wide eyes and raised the pistol at their side. It was smacked away by something resembling a grey noodle. The grey noodle then wrapped itself around the person's neck; proceeding to strangle them. _

_**"Sven!"**_

_The person coughed; grabbing the strange appendage with both hands,_

_"Tr...ain...!"_

_After a few more moments; their hands dropped. _

_Standing a few feet away, she watched them drag the lime-haired man down the alley; her emerald eyes wide with fear._

"_MOMMY_!"

The blonde woman gasped as she heard her daughter's shrill scream and leapt out of bed,

"Jessie!"

She ran down the hall to the girl's room and threw open the door. There sat the child; tears streaming down her cheeks as she clung tightly to a small teddy bear; its fur matted with age. Racing over to the bed, the woman wrapped her arms around the girl; running her hand gently through the girl's chestnut locks,

"What is it, baby? What's wrong?"

Wrapping her arms around her mother, the young girl began to sob,

"Something...bad happened, Mommy..."

"Something bad?"

She pulled back from the girl; her brown eyes glistening with worry,

"What do you mean, honey? Something bad happened where?"

"I-I don't know..."

"Then, what are you talking about, sweetie? What happened?"

The chestnut-haired child sniffled as her mother brushed her hair out of her face; fresh tears gliding down her cheeks,

"Daddy's friend..."

_** "Something bad happened...to Daddy's friend."**_

~ø~

_Present Day_

"So, why are we here, exactly?"

Train sighed as he leaned back against the bus seat and rubbed his eyes sorely,

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Merrick began, wincing a little as he sat up a bit in his chair,

"Didn't that purple-haired chick say Sven was in Les Ses Leura? Why are we _here _if he's _there_? Shouldn't we go to where he is?"

Eve glanced over at the chestnut-haired man; swallowing hard as they met eyes. She bowed her head.

Train sighed again,

"She did. But..."

_'"So, you're off to find Goldwynne's daughter before Warren does?"'_

..ø.._  
_

_"I told Hazard I'd find her and keep her safe," Train began, sighing deeply,_

_"What kind of jerk would I be if I went back on that now?"_

_Rinslet nodded shortly, shrugging as she started down the car back toward first class,_

_"Well...good luck to you, then."_

_'"You're not coming with us?"'_

_The lavender-haired woman shook her head; a sad look in her eye,_

_"No."_

_She started away from him; her shoulders shaking as her voice began to waver,_

_"I...I have things to do. Work to get back to..."_

_"Rinslet."_

_She stopped short; turning back to him with a scowl on her face. He smiled,_

_"You won't lose anymore friends. I promise."_

_ She nodded shortly; her eyes filling up with tears,_

_"Tell me that when this is all over."_

_Turning away again, she headed for the door; disappearing from his sight as she passed through._

..ø..

"We're here to cut Warren off...before he can wreck someone else's life."

The boy nodded; staring at him blankly a moment. He then narrowed his eye.

"That didn't answer my question."

"Well, then maybe you asked the wrong one."

"Well, then maybe you should enlighten me!"

"Well, maybe I don't want to-!"

"Enough, both of you!"

The two glanced over at Eve; eyes wide. She was gazing out the window; her fist clenched in her lap,

"You're both acting like babies. Let's just do what we came to do and get back to Les Ses Leura."

Train blinked silently at her; swallowing hard,

_'Something tells me she's channelling Sven right about now...'_

He then glanced back over at the muddy-haired boy. He was gazing at Eve silently; sadly. His eyes almost seemed to be yearning.

At this Train grinned.

_"Pssst."_

Merrick straightened; turning his eye to Train. The golden-eyed man was smirking. He then mouthed something.

**'I saw that.'**

He blinked silently and mouthed back.

**'So?'**

A toothy grin spread across Train's lips and he laughed softly,

**'Sven would KILL you.'**

A cold feeling rushed over the boy as Train leaned back again; a triumphant look on his face. He then promptly stood as the bus came to a halt; motioning to the two of them,

"Come on. This is our stop."

They all three stood and clamboured off of the bus; a man with sandy blonde hair tracking their movements silently. He reached up and touched an earpiece behind his head; his voice low and quiet,

"The bioweapon is on the move. Black Cat is with her."

**"Follow them."**

He clicked his earpiece again and calmly strode off of the bus...

_"Yes, sir."_

~ø~

The raven-haired man smirked as he monitored the computer screen in front of him. A small green dot pulsed evenly on a grid. With a soft chuckle, he stood up straight; his eyes locking on the jade-haired man strapped to the nearby wall,

"Looks like things are finally falling into place. It's only a matter of time, now..."

~ø~

_"...before both your precious bioweapon AND the ultimate power of foresight are in my possession."_

Merrick frowned as they started down the quiet residential street; swallowing hard,

"So...you gonna tell me why we're here, yet?"

Train groaned; placing both hands behind his head,

"No."

The boy scowled; glancing around nervously. This place...this street in particular. There was something familiar about it.

Suddenly coming to a stop, Train glanced down at the piece of paper in his hand; then up at the house to his left,

"Yep. This is it, all right."

The three of them glanced over at it; the cozy little white and blue house. The front yard was bright green and framed by a white picket fence. At the center of the yard was a small gazebo draped with little blue flowers and vines. There was no car in the driveway. Train sighed as he opened the fence door and started up the walk,

"Let's hope somebody's home."

Eve started after him; pausing when she realised Merrick was still by the street,

"Are you coming?"

He remained silent as he gazed at the house; his eye wide. She frowned, starting back toward him,

"Is something wrong?"

A bead of sweat trailed down his face. He swallowed hard,

_'This house...'_

A flash of a memory came into his mind then. A man with light brown hair and glasses scooping up a little girl into his arms. She couldn't have been anymore than three-years-old. She squealed in delight as the bespectacled man planted a wet kiss on her cheek. There was a woman in the background with long, curly blonde hair. She was smiling. It was the portrait of a perfect family.

They were so happy.

"Merrick."

He gasped as he felt a hand on his arm and glanced down at Eve; coughing shortly,

"What? No, I'm just..."

She frowned as he pulled away and stepped around her; shoving his hands in his pockets,

"It's just a nice house, that's all."

The blonde frowned as she followed behind him; confused. His expression had not been one of admiration. It had been sad. Almost...fearful.

Train groaned as he reached the front door; frowning. Eve noticed his pause and cocked her head to the side; raising an eyebrow,

"What's wrong?"

The chestnut-haired man sighed as she stepped up beside him,

"I...haven't exactly thought this through."

"When do you _ever _think things through?"

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"

Merrick stopped at the porch steps and swallowed hard. Slowly, he turned his gaze from the two on the porch, to the house at his right. It was a brick house with a white roof. The yard seemed to have gone unattended for sometime, as had the picket fence surrounding it. The paint was chipped and one of the windows seemed to be cracked. There was a 'For Sale' sign by the street. He took a deep breath.

_'"Mommy!"'_

The image of a woman with waist-length mahogany hair came into his mind. She stooped down; her arms outstretched as she smiled brightly. He was running to her. Behind her stood a man with messy, black hair and glasses. In his hand, was a bottle of scotch. The image of the woman disappeared then and he found himself staring at the shabby brick house once more. It took only a moment before he heard her screaming and the smell of alcohol wafted past his nostrils,

_'"It's all right! It's all right!"_

The sound of a door bell broke through the memory and he shook his head of it; turning away from the brick house. The boy's heart began racing as he heard a woman's voice come from inside the house,

_"Just a minute!"_

Eve turned to Train with a stern frown,

"Let me do the talking."

"What! Princess-"

The door opened then and a woman with curly, blonde hair stepped into view,

"Yes?"

Eve opened her mouth; Train promptly cutting in before she had the chance to speak,

"Susan Goldwynne?"

"Yes, that's me."

She turned to Train with concerned frown as he continued,

"You don't know us, but...we're here to-"

"-because we're friends of Sven Vollfied. You're husband's ex-partner from the IBI. I'm Eve, this is Train and behind us is Merrick."

The chestnut-haired man slowly turned to glare at the little blonde next to him, his eye twitching angrily as she continued,

"We'd like to talk with you, if you don't mind, that is."

The woman smiled warmly at the girl and nodded shortly,

"Of course I wouldn't mind. Please, come on in."

The two of them smiled as she opened the door further and nodded to her kindly as they stepped on past. Train turned to Eve as they entered the living room, whispering harshly under his breath,

"Why'd you cut me off like that, Princess?"

"In case you hadn't noticed, you were freaking her out," she whispered back,

"And besides that, it's not all that polite to ask her to do stuff without introducing yourself first!"

"Are you coming, too?"

Merrick straightened as the woman stepped out of the doorway toward him and he gasped; nodding shortly,

"Ye-Yeah."

She gave him an odd look as he walked by her; shutting the door behind them as she shook her head.

The room was neat and tidy; all but the stacks of boxes resting by the couch. On the cushions rested a stack of photo albums and miscellaneous photos yet to be put in them,

"It's a funny coincidence that you came by today," she began, shuffling the stuff on the sofa back into the boxes,

"I was just going through some old photos. I came across these."

She picked up a handful of photos and handed them to Eve. The girl blushed. Train leaned in beside her; stifling a laugh. The photo on top was one of a young Sven in a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans. A brown-haired man wearing glasses stood behind him; making a face. Sven did not look happy.

Shuffling through the pictures, Eve found quite a few of Sven with this strange man; a man who oddly reminded her of the one peering over her shoulder. The blonde woman, Susan, smiled picking up another stack of photos for herself,

"Lloyd was very close to Sven. He thought of him like a brother. It's a shame with all that's happened..."

Biting her lip, she sighed; heading out of the room a moment,

"Would you all like anything to eat? If I'd known you were coming I would've had something ready!"

Eve shook her head; while Train perked up,

"You got any cookies or something-?"

He groaned as he felt an elbow hit his ribcage and glared down at Eve; sighing deeply,

"Nothing for me, thanks."

Glancing over at Merrick, she cleared her throat,

"Would you like anything?"

He straightened; shaking his head quickly as he pulled at the hair hanging over his left eye,

"N-no, ma'am. I'm fine, thank you."

Eve glanced back at the boy; her eyebrows furrowed in concern. His voice had sounded shaky and nervous. Why was he acting so strangely?

Sighing, the woman shrugged and walked back toward them,

"You know, I cried the day I heard about Sven's disappearance. He was such a good man. I'd always wondered what had happened to him since _that _day. We lost touch shortly after the funeral."

She sat down across from them on the love seat; looking down at the photos in her hand,

"I heard from William that he just lost it one day. Something about them trying to give him another partner. He completely refused. Turned in his badge over it. He never talked about his family...I always worried he'd have no one to lean on."

She then turned to Eve directly; a smile crossing her lips,

"I didn't know he had any children, though. When were you-"

"I was adopted! He and Train are my guardians!"

The girl said quickly; her face bright red. Train snickered beside her; his laughter soon ceasing as Susan turned to him,

"So, you and Sven are...?"

She gasped softly as she turned away from him; giggling lightly,

"Well, I must say I didn't see_ that _coming! Not that I have any problem with _that_ sort of relationship. Sven just didn't seem to be the _type_-"

It was Eve's turn to snicker as Train's face became red with fury,

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT! WE'RE SWEEPERS! DON'T MISUNDERSTAND!"

She then turned to the muddy-haired boy; frowning again,

"And you? How did you know Sven?"

The boy offered a nervous smile as he walked over to a nearby table. On the table was a picture. He glanced down at it, shaking his head,

"Oh, me? I-I didn't really know him. I just-"

His breath halted as his eyes met the photo and it felt as if his whole body had locked up.

In the picture, standing beside this woman and who he presumed to be her happy family, was a man with lime green hair wearing a long, tan coat. His eyes widened.

_**'"**__**I found her sitting on the side of the road and thought I'd give her a lift."'**_

Susan noted the boy's sudden change in mood and she straightened,

"Are you all right? You look awful flushed."

Eve tensed as she looked at his face. He was white as a sheet,

"Merrick?"

The boy continued to stare at the photograph,

"Wh-When was this taken?"

The woman smiled; a sad tone lacing her voice,

"About a week before...a week before Lloyd's death. He...he said he wanted to take a nice family photo. Something we could all cherish. Like I said before...to Lloyd, Sven was the closest thing to a brother he'd ever had."

She stepped closer to him; shaking her head in confusion,

"I-I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude...but...do I know you...somehow?"

Merrick tensed.

_'"Is Mr. Lloyd okay?"'_

..ø..

_ The golden-haired woman shook her head as she lightly patted his hand; tears filling her eyes,_

_"No...no he's not."_

_She glanced back at someone in the doorway; someone who was bandaged just like him,_

_"Mr. Lloyd...he's...he's in heaven, now."_

_"Heaven?"_

_ She nodded; swallowing hard,_

_"Yes, sweetie. Heaven. With the angels..."_

_He stayed silent for a moment; glancing back and forth between her and the man in the doorway. _

_"I want Mommy."_

_ The woman straightened; her mouth hanging open as her voice caught in her throat. _

_"Then, we'll go see her."_

_He turned his eyes back to the man in the doorway. Stepping into the room, he offered the little boy a sorrowful smile,_

_"C'mon. Let's go see Mommy."_

_Now in the light, the boy could see that the man had lime green hair..._

..ø..

Reaching up and touching the left side of his face, the boy took a few deep breaths and began to stutter,

"I..."

Eve stood up from her seat and hand on her heart as he seemed to get even whiter,

"Merrick."

He grabbed hold of the table as a sharp pain ran through his head and the image of the lime-haired man came through stronger than ever,

"I-!"

The front door suddenly burst open and a young girl with chestnut hair stepped inside; cell phone to her ear,

"Well, I dunno, Charity! It's not like some hot guy will just randomly appear in my living room and offer-"

She stopped short as her eyes fell on Merrick and she straightened; her friend still jabbering on the other end. Cutting her off short, the girl stared blankly at the muddy-haired boy.

...

**"I'm gonna have to call you back, Charity."**

* * *

**A/N #2: WHY AREN'T MY NORMAL BREAKS WORKING! FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-**


	42. XXXVIII

**A/N: Again, this is probably not the best I could do, but I needed to post something. I was starting to give up on it... **

**Also, I have to add that I am thoroughly pleased to see DEEK S. in the character options. 8D**

**_..._**

**_IMPERVIOUS ICE BARRICADE!  
_**

* * *

**XXXVIII**

"Is she in sight?"

**"Yes, sir. She just arrived at the house. Should we move in?"**

"Not yet," Jonas Warren began, smirking as he took a look at the computer screen. A glowing green dot pulsed evenly on the city map before him; a dot zeroing in on the Goldwynne residence,

"Wait, a few moments more. Let her settle in. Move only on my order."

**"Yes, sir."**

~ø~

The chestnut-haired girl hung up her phone and silently stared at the boy. He was lean, wearing a black tee shirt with olive green pants and black combat boots. Around his neck was a pewter pendant in the shape of a wing. There was a dent in the centre of it. The left half of his face was concealed by a curtain of brown hair, and she took notice of the bleach blonde layers at his neck. The right half of his face, however, was quite handsome. Her mother stepped toward him and lightly placed a hand on his shoulder,

"Are you all right?"  
He jerked away from her, startled, his body tensing as the picture frame fell to the floor. He immediately knelt down and picked it up; his voice shaky and nervous,

"I-I'm sorry! I..."

The glass had cracked and a few pieces fell to the floor. He swallowed his hard, shaking his head furiously,

"Dammit! I'm really sorry! I didn't mean...I..."

He stopped as she placed her hand lightly on his and he slowly raised his gaze to look at her. She smiled warmly at him; a mother's smile,

"It's all right. It was an accident."

He dropped his gaze after a moment and proceeded to pick up the rest of the broken pieces. Standing, he handed them to her and coughed; shaking his head as he pushed past her,

"I-I need some air."

The chestnut-haired girl stepped aside as he went for the door; raising an eyebrow as he hurried outside,

"Oh...kay?"

Eve straightened as the door slowly closed behind him and made to go after him; Train grabbing her shoulder,

"Let him go, Princess."

She looked up at him silently; her eyes lit with worry. He sighed, shaking his head,

"He said he needed some air. Just give him a few minutes."

He then turned to Susan, his look more serious than before,

"In the meantime, Ms. Goldwynne, I was wondering if you could give us some insight on some things..."

The blonde woman turned to him with a confused look,

"Um...sure. What would you like to know?"

"Well, for starters," he began, nodding to the girl behind her,

"Assuming this is your daughter, Jessica, what are the chances that she may have a vision eye like her father?"

He swallowed hard as the woman's eyes widened.

Perhaps it would have been better to leave the talking to Eve, afterall.

~ø~

Merrick sat down on the porch steps; his head in his hands. He closed his eyes; his mind racing.

_'All this time...'_

_**I can't believe it was the same person. Mr. Goldwynne's partner...**_

_"Mommy!"_

_The woman glanced up as he came rushing forward and knelt down; smiling brightly. He giggled; wrapping his arms around her tightly. _

_"I found her sitting on the side of the road and thought I'd give her a lift."_

_"__**You**__ would."_

_"Hey!"_

_The boy blinked as he spotted the man standing behind her. He wore a long, tan coat with a business suit underneath. Perched on his lips was an unlit cigarette. What caught his eye most, however, was the man's unusually lime-coloured hair..._

_**...and Eve's Sven.**_

_ He raised his head at the sound of crunching grass and spotted someone standing across the river. They were silently staring at him. Straightening, he took a deep breath and stood, looking them over carefully. It was a man. He had lime-green hair and wore a cream-coloured suit. There was an eye patch fixed over his right eye. His visible eye, a reddish-brown one, gazed at him sadly._

He sighed deeply as he opened his eyes and he straightened his back; turning his eyes toward the clouds,

"It all seems like some sort of crazy coincidence...or maybe..."

A strange glint coming off one of the rooftops across the street caught his eye then and he frowned; raising an eyebrow,

"Huh?"

Upon turning his gaze to it, he stiffened; a sharp pain searing in his left eye. He stifled a cry and clamped a hand; a series of images flashed through his brain in seconds following. His eyes widened...

~ø~

"The vision eye...you said?"

The woman's visage visibly darkened and she stepped toward the stairwell to her right. Train swallowed hard as she moved in front of an end table that had sat there. The table contained a drawer. His eyes narrowed. Something didn't feel right.

Placing her hand on the front of the drawer, Susan suddenly pulled a gun from it's depths, her daughter shrieking loudly,

"Mom, what're you-!"

"Get behind me, Jessie...NOW."

"But Mo-"

The woman instead stepped between her daughter and the chestnut-haired man; her eyes narrowed to deathly slits,

"I told you people before that we're not interested! You thought you could weasel your way in here and get me to let my guard down by making up stories...well, you thought wrong! My daughter will not have anything to do with your project, do you hear me! Now, get out of my house!"

Train straightened as a bullet sailed past his face; his eyes widening,

"WHOA, take it easy! Whatever you think we're here for, you've got it all wrong-"

"You've been harassing us for months! I've told you time and time again that she doesn't have it, so leave us alone!"

"Who! What project, lady!"

"You...and your people at Chronos! You can take your project and shove it! We won't have anything to do with you!"

Eve glanced over at the chestnut-haired girl; a frown on her face. The girl was quiet as she gazed back at the front door, an expression of fear on her face...

~ø~

"Lowe."

**"Yes sir?"**

"Go ahead and send them in," the raven-haired man began; a blood thirsty gleam in his eyes,

"It's time we collected the subjects."

His gaze was fixed at the jade-haired man fastened to the wall before him. The man had become weaker since their last session; most likely due to the amount of fighting he put up.

_'It will be different this time,'_ Warren thought, narrowing his eyes at him,

"Should you try to fight me...you will regret it, _Vollfied_."

Sven twitched slightly.

~ø~

They all jumped as the front door burst open; Merrick standing in the opening. He ran inside; running straight for Jessica. The girl let out a yelp as he tackled her to the ground; leaving both Train and Susan in a brief stupor. He turned to Train; his eyes immediately anxious,

"GET OUT OF THE WAY!"

Eve straightened; quickly darting in front of the four of them as Train knocked the gun from Susan's hand and pulled her to the side. A split second later a hail of bullets burst through the open doorway. The window then shattered; Jessica letting out a scream as whatever it was that burst through it exploded...

~ø~

"Easy with the gunfire, you morons!"

Emilio Lowe shouted into his headpiece as he watched from his car down the street.

**"Sorry, sir."**

He growled. He knew it had been a bad idea to bring along the Erasers for this mission, but who was he to cross Warren's orders.

~ø~

Train coughed as he glanced up; squinting his eyes to see through the smoke,

"Is everybody okay?"

He turned his eyes to the blonde standing in front of them; a sigh of relief escaping his lips as he spotted the huge shield she'd made with her golden tresses,

"You okay, Princess?"

She nodded shortly; glancing behind her,

"I'm fine."

Her eyes narrowed as she looked to the muddy-haired boy on the floor. Merrick groaned as he pushed himself up to his knees; his breathing slightly heavier than normal,

"Are you all right?"

Jessica blushed and nodded shortly, completely dumbfounded,

"Uh huh."

Rising to his feet, he offered her a hand and pulled her up as well; wincing a little as he smiled,

"That's good-"

"Jessie!"

The brown-haired girl turned as her mother called to her; hurrying over to her quickly,

"Mom!"

The woman wrapped her arms around her daughter; squeezing her tightly,

"Are you all right, sweetheart? You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

"No, I'm fine," she began, glancing back at Merrick. She then turned back to her mother; confusion on her face,

"What's going on? Why were there people shooting at us?"

"It's Chronos."

Susan gasped as she glanced behind her at Train; her eyes wide as she saw the expression of anger written on his face.

He growled; narrowing his eyes to deathly slits,

"They must have known we would come here."

Eve tensed as she turned forward; gazing at the back of her shield,

"What do we do now?"

The chestnut-haired man sighed deeply,

"We'll have to run. It's too risky to try to fight them, right now."

He turned to Susan; fists clenched tightly,

"Where's your car?"

The woman straightened; her body tensing anxiously,

"In the garage. Behind the house..."

"I'm sorry, ma'am, I know we're all on shaky ground right now," he began, nodding to Eve and Merrick,

"But you're going to have to trust us. We're not here to take your daughter and use her in some project. We actually came here to take you some place safe. Chronos is a dangerous organisation, moreso now than it ever was...but we're the only people who can actually protect you from them-"

"How can I be so sure?"

She interjected; tightening her embrace on her daughter,

"How do I know you're not just lying to get us to go with you?"

Train's eye twitched and he growled softly to himself,

_'Jeez, she more stubborn than Rinslet...!'_

"Please, ma'am."

Susan turned to the blonde before them; swallowing hard as she looked up at the shield made from her hair.

"You have to believe us when we say we're here to protect you. We don't want any harm to come to you or your daughter..."

She remained silent a moment; a frown on her face. Eve quietly continued,

"Sven...he's the closest thing to a father I've ever known. Chronos took him away from me. For the same to happen to you when you've both already lost so much...that is the last thing I want."

Susan straightened; a hollow sting filling her heart at the girl's words.

_'"When you've both already lost so much..."'_

"Mom."

She glanced down at her daughter, her expression softening as her daughter offered her a smile,

"It's okay. We can trust them."

They all silenced. The smoke in the house was beginning to settle as they stood quiet for those few moments; Susan finally letting out a sigh,

"The keys are hanging on a peg by the back door."

Train nodded; turning from them as he started down the hall,  
"Then, let's get going."

They started for the back; Eve pulling her shield around behind her so that she could walk forward. She glanced over at Merrick; tensing a little. His face seemed very pale and it sounded as though he were breathing harder than normal.

She frowned,

"Merrick?"

He glanced over at her; smiling a little as a bead of sweat trailed down his cheek. He could tell she was worried by the look on her face,

"I-It's nothing, really. I think I'm just a little winded from the run. I'll be fine."

The girl nodded silently; but continued to look him over. The way he was walking...his body seemed more frigid than before. Something was definitely wrong.

As they reached the back door, Jessica let out a gasp and turned tail; running back to the stairwell,

"Oh no! I almost forgot!"

Susan tensed; her eyes widening as she watched her daughter disappear into the smoke,

"Jessica! Come back!"

Eve's eyes widened as she watched Merrick spin on his heel; the boy darting after her into the fog,

"Merrick!"

"Don't worry! I'll get her! You guys go on ahead! I won't let anything happen to her!"

Train nodded shortly, grabbing Susan by the wrist as he opened the back door,

"We'll meet up with you at the station, okay kid!"

"What," Susan screamed as Train pulled her through the doorway and ushered her toward the garage hangar at the back fence,

"We can't just leave them! Jessie is-"

"Perfectly safe," Eve interrupted, raising an umbrella-like shield over the three of them as she spotted another gunman on the neighbouring roof,

"Trust me..."

~ø~

_"...when he says he won't let anything happen to her, he means it."_

Merrick followed Jessica upstairs and to a bedroom at the end of the hall; his breathe become laboured. Wincing, he grasped the doorway as he watched her dive toward the stuffed animals on her bed,

"What the hell are you doing! We have to go, now!"

"I can't! Not yet!"

Marching over to her he took hold of her shoulder; jerking her away from the toys,

"Believe it or not, sweetheart, there are more things important right now than your plushies-!"

"But I can't-!"

She stopped a moment, her head bowing sadly as she bit her lip.

"I can't leave it behind It was the last thing he ever gave me..."

The boy straightened as he saw the tears forming in her eyes and sighing deeply, he let go and turned back toward the door,

"Make it quick. They're bound to be here any second."

Nodding shortly, she went back to rifling through the pile. After a second or two, she yanked it out from underneath a few other bears and pulled it to her chest with a relieved sigh,

"Got you."

She then straightened; her eyes wide as she looked straight ahead,

"Oh no! The window!"

Merrick frowned as he spun around; a puzzled look on his face. The window? There was nothing wrong with it. It was then that a sharp pain seared through his thoughts and he cursed; rushing to her quickly,

"Watch out!"

Grabbing her arm, he yanked her away from her bed and pulled her to the floor; shielding her with his body as a strange object smashed through the window with a brilliant flash...

~ø~

Susan let out a scream as she watched the assailant dart out in front of them; their rifle trained on the van. Cursing, Train rolled down the window and leaned out a bit; pistol drawn in his left hand. He fired; two bullets colliding with the gunman's hands. He let out a yelp and dropped the rifle, leaping out of the van's way as it barreled past. Susan looked to Train with wide eyes, her heart racing. Noticing her staring, Train glanced over at her from the corner of his eye as he pulled back in from the window,

"What?"

"Train!"

He turned his attention to Eve; his eyes narrowed,

"Yeah, Princess?"

"There's more of them. They're coming up fast behind us."

Spotting a black Mercedes in the rear view mirror, he grinned a little, a bead of sweat sliding down his cheek,

"Looks like they don't know when to quit. Say, Princess...why don't you teach them a lesson?"

"Gladly."

She threw open the back hatch; leaping out of the van silently. Susan clamped a hand over her mouth; her eyes wide in horror. They had to be going 50 mph right now. That girl was going to be killed.

"She'll be fine, Sweet Cheeks."

Susan through a shocked glare at Train, who calmly continued speeding forward. He kept his eyes on the road,

"Princess is a pro."

Swallowing hard, she glanced back at the open door; her eyes widening as she watched Eve make her move.

The petite blonde sailed into the air, her arms raised above her head. The one driving the car motioned to his subordinates,

"All right, men! Get ready to fire!"

Clasping her hands together, she formed them into a huge hammer and, as gravity brought her speeding back down to earth, she brought said hammer swiftly down upon the hood of the car. It crumpled under the weight of the hammer, the back end of the car rising into the air as the men inside let out shrieks of horror. She jumped away from it as it began to spark and the men leapt out quickly; scrambling away as the hood burst into flame.

A set of gorgeous wings then folded out from her back and she flew back to the van, gracefully landing in the trunk space as she closed the hatch behind her,

"That should keep them back for a while."

Susan's eye twitched as the blonde calmly pulled her wings back in; the feathery appendages seeming to morph directly into her body. The girl blinked at the woman; a blank look on her face,

"What?"

She continued to twitch; one thought running through her mind,

_'Just what kind of people did I get my family involved with!'_

A silent flash brought them all back to attention and Susan gasped; tightly gripping the back of her seat. The flash had come from the direction of their house,

"Jessie!"

Eve straightened as a smoke rose from the home, a faint red glow starting,

_'Merrick...'_

~ø~

Merrick coughed as he raised up; crouching over girl protectively,

"You all right?"

She nodded; holding tightly to the small stuffed toy in her hands,

"Yeah. Thank you."

Helping her up, he groaned and put a hand to his gut; wincing,

"We should get out of here. More than likely they're getting ready to storm the house."

He took a step and his vision wavered. Quickly, he grabbed onto the door frame, Jessica straightening,

"Hey, are you okay?"

He groaned again; tightening his grip on his stomach. This was only going to get worse.

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Another step and he stumbled into the hall; slamming against the wall. The brown-haired girl gasped and ran to his side,

"No, you're not!"

She put a hand on his shoulder,

"Let me help you!"

The boy glanced down at her; swallowing hard as he saw a small red light appear on her temple. His eyes widened. He hadn't had time to push her out of the way...

_BANG._


	43. XXXIX

** XXXIX**

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."

Merrick stumbled into the hall; slamming against the wall. Jessica gasped and hurriedly ran to his side,

"No, you're not!"

She put a hand on his shoulder; a nervous bead of sweat gliding down her cheek,

"Let me help you!"

The boy glanced down at her; swallowing hard as he saw a small red light appear on her temple. His eyes widened. He hadn't had time to push her out of the way...

_BANG._

...because she'd already jumped back. He gazed at her in surprise. It was as though she had known the shot was coming.

_'Could it be...? Did she see it...before it happened?'_

The brown-haired girl straightened; hurrying back over to him,

"Someone's coming!"

She grabbed him by the shoulders and hurried him back into her room. The area was still filled with thick smoke, so it would be more difficult for them to be seen in there. She knew this at least. How they were going to get away from these creeps was a different story.

~ø~

Susan gasped, tightly gripping the back of her seat. The flash had come from the direction of their house,

"Jessie!"

Eve straightened as a smoke rose from the home, a faint red glow starting,

_'Merrick...'_

Frantically, the blonde-haired woman reached for the steering wheel,

"Go back!"

Train cursed as she grabbed it and jerked it right; causing the van to swerve into a mailbox. The box flew up and over the car; landing with a clang on the asphalt behind them. The woman continued shrieking,

"We have to go back! We can't just leave them! Jessie could be hurt-!"

"We CAN'T go back! They've got the place fully surrounded!"

He jerked them back onto the road; sighing deeply,

"We can only hope that these guys are stupid enough not to notice that she's not with us. If we can make them think she's here in the van, then they'll follow us and leave the kids be long enough for them to escape!"

He glanced back at Eve through the rear view mirror, a stern look on his face,

"Think you can help with that, Princess? I know it's not your usual, but it's worth a shot."

The girl nodded shortly and closed her eyes,

"I can try."

Her body began to glow softly. Susan gasped as the girl's lengthy blonde hair turned brown and began to shrink.

~ø~

From his perch on the rooftop, he watched the van go whizzing by and through his binoculars he spotted a young girl with short brown hair in the back seat. He gasped, quickly bringing up his radio,

"I've spotted her, sir! The Goldwynne girl! She's in the van with Heartnet and the others!"

~ø~

Emilio Lowe cursed as he received the transmission and clenched his fist tightly,

_'How is that possible!'_

"Then after them quickly, you dolts! Get her and bring her to me!"

Cursing to himself, he picked up his phone and sighed deeply,

"Mr. Warren. There's been a problem."

~ø~

The raven-haired man raised an eyebrow as he put his phone back to his ear,

"Yes, Lowe?"

**"It didn't go as you said it would. The girl is in the van with Heartnet."**

Warren straightened, his eyes wide with surprise,  
"What? Impossible! She's in the house. She has to be-"

**"One of the Erasers spotted her in the van. Something went wrong with the vision, sir. That's the only way to explain it."**

Grinding his teeth, he clenched his fist tightly and screamed into the phone,

"Well, then get after her, you idiot! Don't stand around talking! She cannot be allowed to escape!"

Throwing the phone to the ground, he turned to Sven angrily; a deadly glare in his eye,

"You. You had something to do with it, didn't you?"

The jade-haired man only twitched in response. Cursing, Warren marched into the neighbouring room and grabbed a syringe, filling it with a strange liquid,

"I warned you, Vollfied. To fight me would cost you dearly."

He turned and went back into the next room; placing the syringe in the IV connected to Sven's arm,

"But I suppose that in your condition, the mind is a small price to pay."

The man grunted in pain as the strange, blue liquid reached his blood stream; blood trickling from his nose as he began to violently convulse. The machine nearby went haywire for a few moments, soon quieting to a soft hum as the jade-haired man went suddenly limp. Warren smirked as he looked to the screen monitoring the man's brain waves; fondly noting how it had quickly decreased from it's usual one hundred percent to a mere ten.

"Well, now...it looks like I won't have any further resistance from you. Sorry it had to be that way. I'm sure that must've been quite painful for you."

He laughed a little, gazing at the motionless man in triumph.

~ø~

_ "He did warn me that it would be a terrible way to die."_

Merrick gasped as a sharp pain seared through his head and he coughed softly, covering his mouth to keep quiet. They couldn't be found out; not now. He tensed as he felt blood hit his hand and tightened his grip on his jaw. The blood, however, was not what disturbed him this time. No, it was the accompanying feeling of being empty and hollow that was truly unnerving. Somehow, he felt suddenly and inexplicably alone. Jessica turned to him with a concerned frown; her eyes speaking for her,

_'Are you all right?'_

The boy bowed his head. No. He was not all right. Not at all.

They heard the sound of footsteps coming into the room and both of them tensed. From their position in the closet, they spotted a man in a black suit entering the smoke filled room. By the looks of it, he could not see them. He had his pistol out and trained anywhere and everywhere he looked. Jessica tensed as he turned their way and bit her lip silently. She hoped the smoke was thick enough for them not to be seen. Unfortunately, she was starting to feel a bit light headed from it. The longer they stayed in there, the worse it would get. They had to get out soon.

"Yes sir?"

They both straightened as the man turned away, talking into his ear piece. They heard a faint voice on the other end,

_"Pull back. Warren's orders. Goldwynne escaped."_

"But sir, I was told she would be in her room. After the smoke bomb, she would run in here with a boy-...Yes, sir. I understand. I'll head back shortly."

He sighed deeply as he lowered his weapon, glancing around a bit longer before heading toward the door.

Merrick sighed softly, his body still trembling from the spell he'd had moments ago,

"Looks like he didn't see us."

"But he was supposed to."

Jessica's emerald eyes were wide and fearful as she spoke; her hands shaking as they gripped her skirt,

"He was told...we would be here. How would he know that? He shouldn't know that..."

The boy sighed; coughing a little as he whispered,

"I know. Let's just get out of here before he comes back."

Before they could move, a strange vibration could be heard, followed by the sounds of a rock song. Jessica jumped as she glanced down at her coat pocket,

"My phone!"

~ø~

A girl with shaggy blue hair laid on her bed, a deep frown on her face as she waited for her friend to pick up,

"You _so_ did not hang up on me, Goldwynne. Now pick up your damn phone!"

She growled as it just went to voice mail; her fist clenching around the device,

"Oh, this is so _not _being forgiven."

~ø~

Merrick tensed as she took it out of her pocket; the song getting louder at the same time,

"Shut that thing off! Do you want us to get caught!"

"No! But I can't silence it without hanging up! And if I hang up on Charity she'll kill me-!"

Merrick cursed as he heard the sound of footsteps coming toward them and he quickly stood as the man in the black suit rushed toward them. He punched forward, unable to clearly see if he was connecting or not. He received a fist to his gut, which made him gag and double over in pain; blood flying from his lips. Dropping to his knees, the boy quickly swiped his foot around and took out the man in black's legs. The man fell backward; letting out a yelp as he hit the floor.

Quickly grabbing Jessica by the wrist, he forced himself up and ran for the door; pushing her ahead of him. A bullet hit the door frame just by his head as they ran through and he ushered her down the stairs; his mouth filling with blood,

_'Damn...! This is bad...'_

He tensed as they reached the bottom of the stairs and ran ahead of Jessica; the girl gasping as she spotted another armed man in the doorway. He seemed surprised to see them. Cursing, the muddy-haired boy quickly grabbed the girl's phone from her hand, the damned thing still going off,

"Lemme use your phone!"

He then hurled it as hard as he could at the armed man's head; the device solidly connecting and sending the man to the dirt. Jessica blinked in surprise as she watched the man fall; the boy again grabbing her wrist as they rounded the corner and headed for the back door,

"Let's go! Hurry!"

They reached the backdoor in a matter of seconds; Merrick stumbling through as he frantically fumbled with the door knob. Jessica caught him as he nearly fell; pulling him back to his feet,

"C'mon! The gate is this way!"

~ø~

"How's it lookin', Princess?"

Eve glanced out of the back hatch and smiled slightly; a bead of sweat trailing down her cheek,

"They're following us! Just like you said."

The chestnut-haired man smirked, speeding the car faster down the road,

"All right! Looks like that was a perfect plan!"

"Everyone's good for something, sometimes."

"What was that!"

Train growled as he glanced back at the girl; his teeth bared angrily. He then let out a deep sigh as he glanced over at Susan and smashed his foot on the gas,

"Whatever...let's just lose these guys and find Jessica. The faster we do that, the faster we can get you both to safety."

Susan straightened; then silently clasped her hands together and pressed them to her forehead,

_'Please, Jessie...please be okay...'_

~ø~

They ran down the alley, Jessica pulling in front of the muddy-haired boy,

"C'mon! This way!"

She spun around as she noticed he was lagging, her eyebrows furrowing in worry. He was not all right. His breathing was very ragged. His skin was pale and covered in sweat. Worst of all, she could swear there was blood on his lips. Like this, he wouldn't be able to get away on his own. Quickly she ran back to him and grabbed hold of his arm; pulling it over her shoulder,

"Let me help."

"You should go on ahead. I'll just slow you down-"

"No way."

The boy straightened at her firm response and blinked silently at her. She sighed and began heading toward the road,

"You've been protecting me the whole time we've been in this mess...now it's my turn to help you...um?"

She blushed a little, giggling nervously,

"Y'know, I don't even know you're name!"

Merrick straightened, snorting a little himself,

"We never did get introduced, did we?"

They both laughed a moment, the muddy-haired boy sighing deeply,

"It's Merrick."

She smiled in return, her emerald eyes gleaming brightly,

"Merrick, huh? That's a cute name! I'm Jessica."

She then blushed; bowing her head as she began to stutter,

"Did-Did I just say you have a cute name? I'm sorry! I didn't-"

"It's fine...thanks for the compliment."

Her face turned even more red and she found herself smiling. Clearing her throat, she turned quickly to her right; stuttering a little more,

"L-Let's go this way. I think it'll be easier to get away if we cut through a few yards."

"Yeah, you're probably right about that..."

~ø~

"Where is she, Lowe? Have you caught up with them?"

Warren growled as he held his slightly damaged phone to his ear; the static from having thrown it earlier proving to be troublesome to his hearing,

**"N-, sir. No s-n o- -hem."**

"How can that be? It's a van speeding through a residential area. It's bound to be noticeable. Aren't your people out watching for it!"

**"Well sir...since we didn't an-ipate Goldwynne e-apin-, we set up only within a five b-ck radius..."**

The raven-haired man groaned as he ran his palm across his face; his blood beginning to boil,

"You...you idiot! Li would never have been this careless!"

Turning his deadly glare on Sven, the man narrowed his eyes,

"Log on to the GPS and look for the bioweapon's signal. The device I planted on her should still be up and running. It's how we found them in the first place, correct?"

**"Forgive me, sir! I forgot about the tr-ker ent-rely!"**

"_Obviously. _Now track them down and bring them to me at once!"

He promptly hung up the phone and sat back down at his desk; rubbing his temples sorely as he let out a deep sigh,

"Li...you were so much smarter than this idiot. Why did it have to be you against Hazard...?"

~ø~

Eve tensed as they rounded the corner; Train slowing the car to a halt,

"Train? What is it? Why did we stop?"

The chestnut-haired man had his gaze fixed on a set of bushes a block ahead,

"I thought I saw something..."

They all silenced for a moment; Susan straightening as the bushes began to move. Eve straightened, her unnaturally short, brown locks shifting as she sat up more,

"Is that...?"

After a few seconds, two figures emerged from their leafy depths, Susan's eyes widening with tears,

"Thats-!"

~ø~

"Ow, ow!"

Jessica winced as she stumbled out of the bush, her clothes covered in stickers,

"Maybe hiding in the bush was a bad idea."

"Yeah, maybe..."

Merrick groaned as he staggered out from the leaves; a single thorn stuck in his cheek. He pulled it out with a yelp, his eyes beginning to water as he rubbed his face,

"Well, which way now?"

"JESSICA!"

The girl straightened at the sound of her name and glanced behind her to see a van barrelling right toward them. A smile crossed her lips as it came to a stop beside them; the passenger side door swinging open as her mother leapt out,

"Mom!"

The woman wrapped her arms around the girl; tears streaming down her face,

"Oh, sweet heart! Are you all right! I was so worried about you!"

"I'm fine, Mom. Merrick kept me safe."

Eve slid the side door open and straightened, her worried eyes meeting with Merrick's exhausted ones. The boy offered her a small smile; his legs giving out from under him moments later. She let out a cry and quickly caught him; holding him up carefully,

"Merrick!"

The boy groaned; his face covered in sweat,

"I'm fine...really. Just a little winded...don't worry."

Jessica spun around at the sound of his weak voice, her eyes darting down to the boy's middle. His shirt looked strangely wet, not damp like that from sweat, but truely soaked. He grunted again and fell to his knees; Eve crouching down beside him,

"Oh no...!"

Train straightened as he stepped out of the van as well, and hurried around to their side; kneeling down next to Eve,

"Princess! What happened?"

He didn't need to ask. He could already smell it. Cursing, he looked to the boy's stomach; his body tensing as a foreboding feeling overcame him. There was the evidence.

"His wound is open again."

Turning back to the van, he opened the back hatch and pulled the seats down as quickly as he could; motioning to Eve,

"Get him over here. Quick!"

He turned to Susan and Jessica as the blonde helped Merrick to the van, his voice low and stern,

"Do either of you have a lighter?"

Susan nodded and hurried over to the passenger side. Opening the glove box, she rummaged through and pulled a lighter from it's depths, handing it cautiously off to him. Jessica gripped her small bear tightly as she watched him round the car; her eyes wide,

"What...what are you going to do?"

Eve knelt beside Merrick, the boy now laying in the back half of the van. She turned to Train; her eyes filled with fear and worry,

"Train, he's bleeding really bad..."

"I know, Princess. Keep pressure on it, okay?"

Glancing over to his right, he spotted a tire iron pushed against the wall by an uprooted car mat. Taking it in his hand, he held the lighter to the end of it, sighing deeply,

"How high is your threshold for pain, kid?"  
There was a moment of silence as Eve and Merrick glanced at one another; the boy's eye twitching as her eyes seemed to laugh at him,

"Pretty high...I guess."

He watched her mutter something under her breath, the word 'liar' he assumed, and he blushed; turning his gaze away from her,

"No one asked _you_."

After a few minutes, the tip of the iron began to glow red and Train frowned; giving Eve a stern look,

"I'll need you to hold him down for me. Think you can do that?"

"Wha-What are you going to do?"

The boy stammered as he gazed at the red hot iron in Train's grasp. Train sighed again; turning to Merrick solemnly,

"I'm going to burn you."

The boy turned completely white and swallowed hard, his voice a near shriek,

"WHAT! WHAT THE HELL FOR!"

He let out a cry of pain then and laid back; his breathing ragged. Train smirked, shrugging his shoulders,

"Relax. I'm not doing it for fun...well...maybe I am."

The boy's eyebrow twitched as he heard the man cackle softly. He was enjoying this.

"As much as I'll enjoy making you scream, kid, this needs to be done before you bleed to death. Unless that's what you want."

Eve tensed at Train's harsh words and bit her lip as she glanced back down at Merrick. The boy seemed to be actually contemplating it. After a moment or two, he turned his eyes back to Train; his fists clenching nervously,

"Do it."

Nodding to Eve, Train clamped a hand down on one of the boy's thighs. Kneeling at his head, Eve grabbed the boy by his wrists and held them tight. The chestnut-haired man took a deep breath as he looked to her one more time,

"No matter what happens, keep him down. Okay?"

Swallowing hard, the girl nodded shortly. She then looked down at Merrick and smiled slightly. He smiled back. Carefully, Train lowered the glowing tire iron onto the wound and pressed down firmly. The boy's eye widened as searing hot pain ran through his body and let out a blood curdling scream...

* * *

**A/N: My inspiration has officially flat-lined for this story. I have NO idea when the next update will be. I need to get inspired and fast...**

_And, lol, am I the only one who thought of Burn Notice when Train said "I'm going to burn you"?_

_Merrick = Michael Weston apparently... XDD_


	44. XL

**EDIT MARCH 24th: Added a paragraph to the end! Woot! Currently, I've started the next chapter as well. Listening to Disturbed is shockingly what has triggered it! I need to do this more often.**

**Still wondering if there has been news on Kentaro Yabuki. I can't find ANYTHING. D8**

* * *

**XL**

Emilio Lowe raised his head as he heard the sound of a pained shriek and he blinked in surprise,

"Well, that didn't at all sound pleasant."

He glanced back down at his GPS; his eyes narrowing,

"It's coming in the direction of the bioweapon."

~ø~

Eve closed her eyes as the boy lurched underneath her; her grip tightening as tears welled in her eyes,

"Is it almost over, Train!"

The boy let out another cry as Train set the iron on another part of the wound,

"Almost. Just hold on a bit longer, okay!"

Jessica clamped her hands over her ears; her mother wrapping her arms around her tightly. What was going on? Why was all of this happening? Who were these people? What had happened to that boy to make this crude cauterisation neccessary? What had they gotten themselves into?

She gasped then, her eyes widening in fear. Quickly, she ran around to the back of the car, where Train was just finishing up,

"We have to get out of here, now!"

He glanced over at her; his eyes wide,

"Wh-What?"

"Someone's coming! Right this way," she began, her body trembling,

"We have to leave! Something..."

The brunette bit her quivering lip; her hands tightly holding her bear,

"Something bad will happen if we don't."

Her mother straightened at that, her brown eyes wide in shock,  
"Jessica..."

Train nodded shortly; patting her on the head as he tossed the iron into the bushes,

"Then, get in and let's go."

Nodding, she quickly climbed in through the back and settled next to Merrick. Eve crouched over him; her forehead pressed silently to his. He was unconscious. The brunette noticed the tears streaming down her cheeks and sighed; a strange sort of butterfly developing inside her. She frowned then, becoming distracted as a strange light caught her eye. She straightened,

"Um...excuse me...'Princess', is it?"

Eve glanced up as the girl softly poked her shoulder; a confused frown on her face. Jessica pointed to the bag across the car from her, her eyebrow raised in confusion,

"Did you leave something on in your bag? It looks like it's glowing..."

The blonde blinked and glanced over at it. Sure enough, there was a faint, red glow coming from inside her bag. She pulled it over to her and opened it, rummaging throuhg it as she wiped her eyes of tears. The only things in it were Sven's hat, wallet, and a few things of food. She shook her head,

"I don't know what it could be. There's nothing in here that would glow."

"Lemme see, Princess."

Train reached his hand back as he sped forward and she handed him the bag; shaking her head,

"There's nothing there, Train."

He halted a moment as he first caught sight of the hat. He bit his lip, keeping quiet. Just looking at it, how beat up and browned it was, it just made him sad.

Shaking the feeling off, he pushed it aside and reached for a beaten wallet. His eyes narrowed. It looked like Sven's wallet, but that couldn't be right. The IBI had never recovered the wallet. When they'd gotten Sven's things, after the investigation had closed, the only things they were given were a lighter and the eyepatch. Train had made sure to keep the hat from becoming held up in evidence by taking it before the investigators had arrived. It might've been tampering with the crime scene, but he couldn't just let that hat be taken away. But the wallet...

"Princess, where did you get this?"

His voice was cold as he opened it. Sure enough, there was Sven's sweeper license staring back at him.

"I got it a while ago...from the IBI."

She then stopped, her eyes widening,

"No...not the IBI."

_'"__That man __**Jonas**__ was planning to send you to a laboratory in Sapidoa where you'd be poked and prodded at like some science experiment."'_

"That man..."

She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling disgusted and horrified at the same time,

"...he was...he was Jonas Warren!"

The realisation hit her hard and she felt her insides begin to shake. How could she not have realised it? The man that posed as an IBI agent...the man who posed as Sven...they were the same. They were one in the same! She suddenly felt sick. And stupid. Incredibly stupid.

Train shook the wallet violently, keeping one eye on the road. After a moment or two, a small, glowing device fell from a small slit in the lining,

"There you are."

Rolling down the window, he tossed the device out and handed the wallet back to Eve; who took it with a trembling hand,

"Nice one, Princess. You lead them right to us!"

Seconds later, a car came flying around the corner in front of them; Train cursing under his breath,

"Speak of the devil..."

~ø~

Lowe smirked as he spotted the van speeding up the street toward him and rolled down his window. Using his knees to steer the vehicle, he leaned out and took aim at their tires with his crossbow.

~ø~

Train's eyes widened as Emilio took aim at them and rolled down his own window, cursing,

"He's gonna try to blow out the tires!"

Whipping out his pistol, he aimed at the crossbow. The car hit a bump as he fired; shooting off the driver's side mirror instead of hitting it's intended target. The man growled softly as he pulled the trigger again, receiving a loud click in response. A bead of sweat rolled down his face,

_'Dammit. I'm out of bullets!'_

He reached for his pocket; his eyes wide. That had been the last of his ammo. They were sitting ducks.

"Yoohoo~!"

Jessica gasped as she heard a distant shout; her eyebrow raised at how curiously perky it had sounded,

"What was that!"

A fit of giggling ensued and glancing out of their windows, Train and Eve straightened; Eve smiling as she spotted two familiar figures standing atop of a hoverboard nearly 10 feet above them,

"Leon!"

The periwinkle-haired boy grinned; Train's stomach lurching as the figure holding onto him blew him a kiss,

"And..."

The raven-haired woman giggled again; waving at him with her fingers,

"Did you miss me, Mister Black?"

The chestnut-haired man rolled his eyes as she again started to giggle; his grip on the steering wheel tightening,

"..._Kyoko_."

Kyoko clenched her fist as she spotted the man in the Mercedes; frowning deeply,

"You're trying to hurt my dear, Mister Black, aren't you? Well...we'll see about that!"

Taking a deep breath, she shot a spiral of fire down at the opposing car; the man inside letting out a yelp as his crossbow became to hot to hold on to. She giggled as Leon took them closer to the van; blowing more kisses at Train as they hovered there a moment. Leon leaned down a bit, looking Train in the eye,

"We'll take care of Warren's lackeys. Just get them to safety."

The chestnut-haired man nodded shortly; offering the boy a smile of gratitude while ignoring Kyoko entirely,

"Thanks, Leon. We'll meet you back in Les Ses Leura."

The boy nodded; steering the board to the front of the van. Kyoko winked as they flew past Train's window; the man rolling his eyes as he quickly rolled it back up. The raven-haired woman blushed and let out a deep sigh; giggling to herself,

"He plays so hard to get~!"

Then turning to the Mercedes; she licked her lips and put on an evil smirk,

"And now, for the grand finale."

With another breath, she aimed her fire at the front tires; the rubber melting from the heat. Lowe cursed as the van veered hard to the left and sped past him; his car coming to a gradual halt. Leon then lowered his hoverboard to the ground and hopped off; Kyoko leaping off beside him. He approached the car; smirking as he cracked his knuckles,

"Well, then. I think it's time we taught you a lesson..."

Lowe swallowed hard as Kyoko giggled from behind the boy; a puff of fire escaping her lips as she blew him a kiss.

~ø~

Jonas Warren scowled as he dialled his subordinate's number; his foot impatiently tapping against the floor,

"Come on, Lowe, you imbecile. Pick up the phone."

He was immediately redirected to voicemail.

~ø~

Train let out a sigh as they reached the main part of the city and slowly eased to a stop as they came upon a red light,

"I think we lost them. Everybody okay?"

Jessica nodded shortly, holding tightly to the small bear in her hands. Susan nodded as well; a set frown on her face. He looked at Eve in the rearview mirror. She said nothing; and continued to stare at the wallet in her hands. Her expression seemed sad.

"Where are we headed now? You still haven't explained yourselves,"

Train turned to Susan as she continued; swallowing hard as he kept quiet,

"Who are you people, really? What do you plan to do with us?"

The man smiled; driving forawrd as the light turned green again,

"We're just who we said we are, ma'am. We're Sven's partners...and we came here to get you and your daughter to a safe place-"

"But why? Who asked you to? And who were those men chasing us?"

Train's expression darkened as he looked to the road ahead of him,

_'"__Goldwynne's address in Sangeles City. She's likely to be Warren's next target. I need you to go pick her up. If she truly does have a vision eye, we can't let Warren have it. We need to keep her safe at all costs..."'_

"We were asked by a friend of ours to find and protect you. A man named Jonas Warren is likely after your daughter. Those men back there were his toadies-"

"After Jessie? But what for? She hasn't done anything wrong."

"No," the man replied calmly, glancing back at Jessica in the rearview mirror. The girl straightened as she met his gaze and immediately averted her eyes,

"But it's likely that he believes she has the same powers your husband did."

"The vision eye," Susan began; her hands wrung in her lap,

"That's why you were asking about it...?"

Train nodded shortly,

"Yes, ma'am."

Shaking her head, Susan frowned; turning her nervous gaze to him,

"I don't know where they got their information, but...Jessie doesn't have it. She never has. There were a few instances years ago...but those were all just her imagination. A doctor said so. And besides, she hasn't been having those kinds of dreams for years now."

The brown-haired girl bit her lip as she felt Train's eyes on her again; but kept quiet. Train sighed,

"Is that so? Then you have nothing to worry about. Either way, we're still taking you someplace safe for a few days."

"Oh? And where would that be?"

Train snorted; smiling to himself,

"To the safest place I know..."

~ø~

_"Trust me ma'am. You and your daughter will definitely be safe in __**her**__ care."_

**Les Ses Leura**

A 40-something blonde woman stood behind the bar; sighing deeply as she washed and dried a set of shot glasses that had been used throughout the day. Setting the last one down on the counter, she took a deep breath as she stared at it silently a moment. It had been nearly six months since Eve disappeared and almost a whole month since she'd last heard from Train. She mulled over their last conversation; a deep set frown on her face. Sven was alive. A man named Jonas Warren had taken him. He was tracking them down, as well as Eve and the boy who had kidnapped her. Then nothing. For a month. Likelihood was that he had gotten himself in too deep and was lying dead somewhere. Though, Train had always been the resilient type. Maybe it was true. Maybe cats really did have nine lives; hypothetical cat he may be. She shook her head. It was never good to hold out hope in these times.

The bell on the door jingled softly and she cursed to herself. She knew she'd forgotten to do something after she'd closed that night,

"Sorry, we're closed. Come back tomo-"

She gasped as she turned toward the door; dropping the towel in her arms. In the doorway stood a young girl with long blonde hair and ruby eyes. Annette straightened, her brown eyes wide with shock,

"E-Eve?"

Stepping in behind the girl was a man with spikey, chestnut hair and golden eyes. He carried someone on his back; a boy with muddy-brown hair and a silver ring in his lip. Train sighed as he stepped inside; adjusting the boy on his back as he began to slide,

"Annette, we need your help."

The woman blinked in confusion as a woman with short blonde hair and a young girl with brown hair came in behind him and she raised an eyebrow curiously,

"What kind of help?"

~ø~

"You could've called first. And if you needed the key to the safehouse, you should've just said so."

Annette grumbled as she unlocked the door for them. Train laughed a little, adjusting the boy on his back as he stepped through the threshold,

"Yeah, well, what fun would that have been?"

Heading into the bedroom toward the back of the apartment, Train gently laid the boy down on the bed; Eve rushing into the room behind him,

"Careful!"

"I am! Jeez, Princess. You sure he's not your boyfriend?"  
He grunted as he received a fist to the side and the petite blonde quickly pushed him out of the way,

"Your usefulness is over. Go out there."  
Train's eyebrow twitched as he marched out into the next room and he folded his arms across his chest; snorting in annoyance,

"Y'know, I don't think I like this side of you, Princess. Picking up cues from Rinslet?"

He received the sound of a slamming door in response.

Annette frowned as she looked at Train, placing both hands on her hips,

"I'm surprised you brought him here. I would've thought you would already have collected his bounty for food money. What happened to him being her kidnapper, anyway?"

"Turns out that information was wrong," the chestnut-haired man replied, stepping past her,

"It's a long story, but Eve hired him."

"And you trust him?"

He bowed his head; staying silent a moment.

"He nearly died keeping her safe, Annette. I think it'd be rude of me not to."

The elder woman straightened and glanced at the closed door. Train then yawned loudly; stretching his arms over his head,

"But, that doesn't mean I have to like the little creep."

Turning to Susan, he offered a smile and let out a sigh,

"There's a spare bedroom in the back for you and Jessica. You should get some sleep. You really look like you could use it."

The woman nodded, smiling warmly at him,

"Thank you so much."

She then put an arm around her daughter and lead her away, Annette raising an eyebrow curiously,

"And they are?"

"The family of Sven's old partner, Lloyd Goldwynne. You ever meet him?"

"Nope," she began, shaking her head as she sat down,

"When I met Sven, he was a lone sweeper."

"I see. So, then...you wouldn't know anything about the vision eye, then?"

"Not much. No more then you boys have told me about it."

She sighed deeply, bowing her head,

"Have you...heard anything more?"

Train raised an eyebrow as he glanced over at her, his arms crossed before his chest,

"You mean from Sven?"

The woman remained silent.

"We did, a few days ago."

Annette straightened at that, raising her gaze for the floor to look at the chestnut-haired man. His face was dark. Sighing deeply, he lowered his voice to a soft whisper, as not to let Eve hear,

"It's not good, Annette."

She lowered her gaze again, letting out a sorrowful sigh,

"I didn't expect it would be..."

They were both silent a moment, the woman clearing her throat before she spoke again,

"He's not going to make it...is he?"

Train bowed his head,

"No."

The blonde-haired woman gasped. Then...he admitted it? Finally, he admitted to himself that neither he nor Eve would be reunited with Sven?

"You're wrong, Annette."

Standing tall, Train turned to look the woman in the eye, his fists clenched tightly at his sides,

"Sven _will_ make it. He _has_ to."

The blonde woman straightened, her eyes wide as he continued,

"I won't give up...not until he's back where he belongs."

The chestnut-haired man turned toward the front window, his eyes narrowed in determination,

"That Warren bastard is going to get what's coming to him. Mark my words..."

In his hand, he clutched his cellphone tightly; the text message with the lab's coordinates sent to him by Spencer on it's display.

~ø~

_**"By the time the sun meets the sky tomorrow morning...Sven will be back where he belongs. I promise you that."**_

**"Brain Activity - 13 percent. Heart Rate - 20bpm. Vital Organ Functionality - 35 percent..."**

Jonas Warren smiled as the automated voice informed him of their _patient's_ stats. With a soft sigh, he turned his gaze to the jade-haired man affixed to the wall across the room,

"It looks like your time on this Earth is just about spent..."

**"Vision Eye Functionality - 18 percent..."**

The ravenhaired man narrowed his eyes,

"And your vision eye as well."

He sat down in the chair before the computer and typed in a chain of commands, the machines in the outer room responding quickly,

"Hmm. That vaccine was supposed to push the vision eye's powers to the fore front...but it appears as though nothing has changed."

He leaned back and rubbed at his chin in thought,

"Perhaps the serum that Dr. Kanzaki created was a failure?"

"I can assure you that is not the case, Jonas."

Warren straightened and glanced over at the door from the corner of his eye. Their stood the bespectacled doctor, a knowing smirk on his face,

"Have you not considered the reason that the serum is not working is perhaps because of the condition of the patient? You _have_ nearly exhausted his abilities, you know..."

"Yes...I'm well aware of that."

"Then what will you do? With this vision eye almost spent, and Goldwynne's daughter now in Black Cat's protection; however will you continue this reign of terror you've begun?"

"It is not a reign of terror, Kanzaki," Warren began, standing from his chair as he levelled his gaze on Sven,

"It is a revolution. This corrupt world...I will free her from her pain. The people will rejoice when I am through with my mission."

His eye narrowed and he clenched his fists, his heart swelling with a mix of rage and pride,

"Are the next set of injections ready?"

Kanzaki nodded, adjusting his spectacles as he chuckled,

"Why yes. I used the network to track down old records of the work of Tearju Lunatique...to be specific, the E.V.E project. The new compound should be nigh indestructible."

"Excellent. Thank you, Doctor."

He turned and exited the room, the dark-haired man following closely behind. The image of a beautiful brown-haired woman filled his thoughts, then and Warren tensed, his fists clenched tightly at his sides,

"Soon..."

_**"In order to free this world from the Devil...I will become the Devil Himself."**_


	45. XLI

**A/N: OMG this site has changed in four months. Jeebus. O3O; **

**Anywho, sorry for the delay guys. Life has been quite...life-like.  
**

* * *

**XLI**

_The area was cold and dark. The horrible feelings of loneliness and solitude dwelled here. He stood there, a 6-year-old boy, all alone in the blackness. Frightened, he glanced around; furiously looking for someone, anyone, to free him from this nightmare,_

_"Hello?"_

_His tiny voice called out. He received no answer. Panicking, he ran forward into the black; his eyes frantically searching for any signs of life,_

_"Hello! Is anybody here!"_

_ His breath could be seen in small puffs of steam. It grew colder as he ran. The boy came to a stop minutes later and fell to his knees; hot tears welling in his eyes. There was no one there. But there had always been someone there. Always since he was a small. _

_The tiny child clenched his fists tightly, tears dripping from his eyes and disappearing into the darkness he now knelt on,_

_"Somebody...please...come back...I don't want...I don't want to be alone."_

_ The faint smell of tobacco wafted past his nostrils and he frowned; glancing up to see that he was now in a warehouse. A few feet away from him; he spotted a lime-haired man handcuffed to a metal beam. The man sported a long, tan trench coat over a black suit and the boy spotted blood splattered on his face. Rising slowly to his feet, the boy winced as he felt a familiar burning pain on the left side of his face; followed by the feeling of warm liquid pouring down his cheek. He staggered over to the handcuffed man and dropped to his knees. The man was staring straight forward; no signs of life in his solitary brown eye._

_ The boy straightened; his sapphire eye filled with sadness,_

_"You...something happened to you...didn't it?"_

_The man did not reply. The child bit his lip, bowing his head solemnly,_

_"You're not here anymore."_

_SILENCE._

_**"Eve."**_

_The boy glanced back up in shock; the man gazing at him lifelessly. He said nothing. The man again bowed his head; his lifeless gaze set on the floor,_

_**"Eve."**_

_Standing up slowly, the boy took a deep breath as he felt the coldness begin to shift; and he placed a hand to his heart,_

_"Eve..."_

Merrick groaned as he opened his eyes slowly. Glancing around, he raised an eyebrow as he realised there was a damp cloth on his forehead. Taking it in his hand, he sat up, a chill running through him as he winced in pain. Glancing down at his bare torso, he noted the bandages wrapped around his middle and he scowled. The memory of a red hot tire iron being lowered onto his stomach flashed through his mind and he swallowed hard; turning a bit blue in the face. He could almost see Train holding it over him now; cackling in sick, sadistic pleasure.

Shaking his head, he pushed the covers away and carefully stood. No one was in the room with him. He had to find someone, at least one sign of life. This hollow feeling he'd suddenly acquired was doing well to drive him mad. He heard a soft gasp as he opened the door and raised an eyebrow, glancing down. Standing there, ready to grab hold of the door knob, was Jessica. She blushed furiously and took a step back, her eyes wide,

"I-I-I didn't know you were awake!"

"I just got up."

"O-Oh! I see," she laughed timidly, poking her fingers together nervously,

"H-How do you feel?"

He groaned, holding his hand to his mid section,

"_Fabulous_."

They both were quiet a moment and Merrick took this time to slowly make his way to the sofa in the living room. Even knowing that Jessica was there did not help in relieving his pain. He felt his insides beginning to shake. Something had been lost back in that house; the moment the hollowness began. Something was missing.

"Where's your mom?"

He whispered softly to Jessica. The girl straightened, replying in a voice equally as quiet,

"She's asleep in the back room. Yesterday took a lot out of her."

"I see."

He glanced around as he sat there. The room seemed to be shrinking on him. He clenched his fists around his knees. What was it that he needed? What was it that was gone?

"And Eve?"

Jessica straightened, sighing deeply,

"She...went outside. I saw her leaving as I got up. I don't know where she went."

"All right."

He stood back up and started toward the door, Jessica straightening,

"Wha-Where are you going?"

"I have to find her."

He said, grabbing hold of the door knob,  
"I...I have a feeling she needs someone right now."

The girl nodded, quickly scampering after him,

"Then I'll come with you!"

He glanced down at her and she gasped quietly. His eye, the one sullied by his scar, was open and looking at her. Or so she had thought. He shook his head to get his hair away from his face, the shower of bangs revealing the eye to still be sealed shut,

"Why?"

She blinked furiously, shaking her head as well,

"B-Because! You're not quite well, yet! What if something happened while you were looking for her? Who would find you?"

With a sigh, he bowed his head. It didn't really matter to him if he was found. Perhaps that would stop the pain from sinking in. Quickly, he threw the thought from his mind. That kind of thinking...it was selfish. He was not the type to be that selfish; not anymore. He could not run away anymore.

"Fine," he said softly,

"You can come...I guess."

She bit her lip as they both stepped outside, her heart pounding loudly in her chest as they started down the hallway,

"S-So...how long have you two known each other?"

"Six months...almost."

"Oh?"  
He silenced. She swallowed nervously. Small talk was hard, especially when trying to engage it with a half naked boy who had just woken up on the wrong side of the bed. She cleared her throat to speak again, but paused as he cut her off,

"So, how long have you been able to see the future?"

Her body felt cold as he shortly hammered out the question and she stuttered, fidgeting nervously,

"Wh-What makes you think-"

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about it."

He smiled over at her and she sighed deeply, bowing her head,

"Since...I was nine. It started with nightmares...just a few over a week. Then it was every night. _Every_ night since the World Summit attacks. Sometimes they were scary, like men being sawed in two on a boat and many explosions...and sometimes they were nice, like me finding an extra quarter in my pocket for ice cream. Nothing special...just dreams."

"I see," he said softly,

"Have you ever had those dreams in waking?"

She swallowed hard again and went silent. The boy nodded,

"Well, I'm glad you did. I would have really hated to bring a corpse back to your mother yesterday."

She straightened, eyes wide in surprise,

"Y-You knew?"

"Well, yeah. I kind of figured. You saw that bullet coming before I did. There was no chance I could've gotten you out of the way in time."

"Really," she shook her head in confusion,

"Nobody ever notices when I use my vision eye. How did you recognise it?"

He stopped as they reached the end of the hall, his mouth falling open silently. Jessica frowned as he noticed his body stiffen and she raised an eyebrow in concern,

"Are you...are you all right?"

Swallowing hard, he turned to her with a weary smile,

"Yeah. It's nothing. C'mon, let's go this way. I have a feeling I might know where Eve is."

He turned toward the stairwell and made his way through the door, Jessica following close behind. She frowned.

He was hiding something.

~ø~

Eve sat alone on the shingled rooftop, hugging her knees tightly. The moon shown brightly overhead; creating a soft glow on the streets below her. She was lost in thought. How could she have been so careless? To be carrying around that wallet for so long without checking it for bugs? It was a rookie mistake; something that should never have happened. She should've known better; hell, she DID know better. Then, why? Why had she overlooked it? What was happening to her? She bit her lip; laying her head on her knees as she felt the tears hit her eyes,

"I'm no good. I'm no good at all."

It was true. She was a complete failure. If the truth had been otherwise, she would have checked that wallet. She wouldn't have let Jonas Warren trick her with his 'Sven' performance. She wouldn't have doubted Merrick when that same man had told her that _he_ was the one responsible for Sven's disappearance. And most of all...she wouldn't have let Sven be taken away in the first place. If she had been stronger none of this would be happening. Sven would still be here. It was all because she was useless. She was just so useless.

Her vision now blurred by hot tears, the girl buried her face in her arms; her shoulders shuddering with sobs,

"I'm so worthless...I'm not good for anything!"

"That's a lie."

The girl gasped and straightened as she spun around, her ruby eyes wide with tears as she spotted a young man with muddy-brown hair standing at the stairwell entrance,

"M-Merrick?"

From behind him, stepped a young girl with a short, brunette bob and bright green eyes. She straightened upon seeing Eve, gasping softly,

"Miss Eve? Are you crying?"

Eve scowled at the girl and bowed her head, quickly wiping her eyes as she said nothing. Jessica swallowed nervously at this, as well as the threatening aura that suddenly seemed to surround the petite blonde.

Merrick, taking no note of Eve's sudden attitude toward Jessica, frowned and marched over to her; taking a seat at her side,

"You're not worthless."

"Yes, I am-"

"NO! You're _not_!"

She bit her lip as she felt his eye on her, and tried her hardest to keep from sobbing as he spoke,

"Just because you made one simple mistake does not constitute you being worthless-!"

"But I should have known that Warren was a _fake_! I should have checked that wallet for bugs after you told me he wasn't who he said he was! But I _didn't_! And that's how he_ found _me! And because he found me, _you_ nearly got killed! I nearly got _everyone_ killed-!"

"No one blames you-"

"Well, they _should!_ And _you _should! He put a hole right through you-"

"And I'd do it again," he shouted, his eyebrows furrowed sadly as she turned to him with tears in her eyes,

"I'd do it again! And again and _again_ and _**again**_! I'd let him shred me to pieces if it meant keeping you _safe_! I'd do it a _thousand_ times!"

Jessica straightened as she watched the scene unfold between them and carefully backed up. This was clearly something they needed to be alone for. Eve shook her head; tears falling from her eyes as she made to punch him with a hair fist,

"Then, you're stupid!"

The punch, rather weak, was something he easily blocked with a hand and he frowned down at her as she shook her head, tears pouring from her eyes,

"Why! Why would you _ever _do that for someone like _me_! Someone so _stupid...so_ _naïve_! I endanger _everyone _around me! Why would you be so willing to help an _idiot _like me-"

"Because," he began cutting her off shortly. He bit his lip, his heart racing. What he wanted to say to her...the feelings he wanted to express...

_'Because I love you.'_

"Because...I'm your friend," he said softly, his voice breaking a little. She hiccuped, tears beginning to glide down her cheeks as he continued,

"And a friend doesn't hesitate to help the people he cares about."

Without another word, he wrapped his arms around the girl; her eyes wide as he continued,

"It's okay. Let it out. I'm here for you...and I'm not here to judge."

She struggled for a minute; squeezing her eyes shut tightly in protest. His warmth was rather convincing, however,

"It's okay to cry, Eve. I promise, I won't say anything."

With that, the girl let out a loud sob; her shoulders beginning to shudder as tears flooded from her eyes. Merrick closed his eyes as she continued to cry into him; his heart fluttering with pain. The burden on his shoulders, the feelings of hollowness; they seemed to lessen and grow all at once as each cry left her lips. He held her tightly.

"You'll get him back," he began softly as she continued to sob,

"I promise. No matter what happens, I swear to you...you will absolutely get him back."

~ø~

"So, in short, you want me to_ babysit _those three while you go out and play in the woods, is that it?"

Annette folded her arms with a disapproving scowl; her cigarette dripping ashes onto the concrete porch they stood upon.

Train laughed nervously and scratched at the back of his neck,

"Yep! That pretty much sums it up!"

"How can you even be sure what that number said was _true_, anyway? Wasn't it _Chronos_ who took Sven in the first place?"

"Technically _yes_, but also no."

She rubbed her eyes sorely; groaning in annoyance,

"You're just walking into a trap, Train. You're gonna get yourself killed-"

"I forgot to buy extra ammo."

Annette straightened; her eyebrows raised in confusion,

"What?"

Train sighed as he bowed his head, his voice low as he continued,

"And Princess...Princess had been walking around with a _bug _on her for who knows _how _long. _Both_ of us...we've gotten careless...lost our edge. When Sven was here, we were _never _like that."

The woman frowned as he looked up at her. His eyes filled were with sadness. He ran a hand through his hair; letting out a sorrowful chuckle,

"We're a mess, Annette. Me and Princess...it's like...we're not all here. Without Sven...we're just a big mess. So even if it is just a trap, I can't look away. I have to go...it's the only chance we've got...to be whole again."

The woman sighed as he bowed his head,

"Train..."

They were both silent a moment; the only sound in the air being the distant rustling of trees.

"When you find him, tell him he owes me _triple _on his tab."

Train straightened and blinked at her silently, the woman grunting in annoyance,

"Inflation, you know? Can't really expect me to charge him the same as four years ago, now can you?"

The chestnut-haired man smiled at that and chuckled softly,

"No, I guess not."

Flipping his phone open, he looked at the time. It was 6:13 a.m. Seeing this, he turned to Annette,

"Well, it's time we got going."

The woman frowned, and followed him inside,

"You're going now?"

"I figured it'd be best. I know Princess doesn't want to wait another minute and if we go now, we should still have an hour of darkness on our side. We'll need the sunlight when we escape, though. Les Ses Leura Forest is not exactly the most tourist-friendly place in the world..."

"Tourist-friendly? You planning on taking a vacation out there?"

"Not until they start selling _tacky _hats."

As they reached their floor, Train spotted Eve and Merrick at the end of the hall. With a smug smirk, he called out to them,

"Well, well...what are you _two_ doing up so _early_?"

Eve glared at him silently; as though shooting daggers at him with her mind. He laughed it off, his look suddenly turning serious,

"So, are you ready?"

The petite girl straightened; her eyes wide. They were going now? To Warren's compound? To save Sven?

She nodded; her eyes matching his in determination,

"Yes."

"That's what I want to hear," he began; heading for the door,

"Now, put your boyfriend to bed and grab your gear. We need to get going while it's still dark-"

"Like hell you will."

The muddy-haired boy pulled away from her; standing on his own two feet as he clenched his fists at his sides,

"I'm coming with you."

Train raised an eyebrow at this and snorted,

"Oh, really?"

"I'll take a few pain killers," he began; straightening his posture as his eye rose to met the chestnut-haired man's doubt filled stare,

"I won't be a burden."

"Yeah, well, tell _that_ to the _hole_ in your gut," the chestnut-haired man stated blankly, heading on inside the apartment,

"Besides, this doesn't concern you anymore. I'm really grateful to you for protecting Little Princess and all, but you can go home, now. This isn't your fight-"

"If you try to leave me behind, I'll just follow you," Merrick said defiantly, marching into the room after him,

"It's not like I can't find my way out of a set of handcuffs."

Train shook his head with a laugh and turned to the boy,

"All right, listen, _Hoodini._ I don't feel like having to make Princess drag home her boy toy's corpse, so if you don't agree to stay put, I'll just have to beat you so senseless that you won't be able to come with us-"

"Then, I give you permission to leave my body where ever it falls! Like it or not, I'm coming, too. There's something I have to see to."

"And that would be?"

Merrick paused; his right eye wandering to the floor for a moment in thought. This hollow feeling, the man from the warehouse... Sven. They were all connected, somehow...and they were all connected by one man. The boy shuddered at the thought of him.

He then turned his gaze back to Train and glared him right in the eyes; determined,

"I'm going with you. I have to. No matter what."

The chestnut-haired man straightened. This situation felt oddly familiar; nostalgic even. For a moment, he could almost see a man with lime-green hair standing in Merrick's place. He smirked and reached into his jacket; pulling his pistol out of it's harness,

"If you're that serious, then we'll let this decide."

He spun the barrel and as it ceased movement handed it to the boy and set his hand down on the coffee table at the centre of the room,

"Come here, kid. Let's see if you've got the resolve."

Merrick raised an eyebrow as he rounded the sofa, and glanced down at the man's hand,

"And what the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Isn't it obvious," Train said with a laugh,

"Shoot my hand."

Eve's eyes widened at that; her voice a near shriek,

"You want him to do what!"

Annette shook her head, frowning,

"Have you completely lost your mind?"

"Not at all," the chestnut-haired man replied calmly, turning to Merrick with a stern glare,

"But if he doesn't have the resolve to shoot my hand, then he doesn't have any right to go with us. I want to see how committed he is to this."

Merrick straightened as he looked down at the pistol in his hand and took a deep breath as Train continued,

"A wounded man with weak resolve won't survive a battle."

That struck a chord. Without a second thought, Merrick cocked the pistol and pressed the nozzle to the back of Train's hand. He pulled the trigger.

_CLICK._

Eve breathed a sigh of relief as nothing happened and Train whistled softly, laughing a little,

"Niiiice. You didn't hesitate at all."

"Why would I have," the boy began, casually handing the man back his weapon,

"It's not like you had it loaded or anything."

Train swallowed hard, a strange tone in his voice as he took the gun,

"Yeah, about that. Remember how I told you how I'd been forgetful lately, Annette? Well..."

He flipped open the barrel, revealing all but one chamber to be full,

"I forgot to empty out the barrels _before_ testing you. You could've really shot my hand off, kid. Looks like I lucked out."

He slapped the stunned boy on the shoulder and headed back for the front door,

"Good on you, though. Looks like you've got enough resolve, after all."

He reached the door and opened it, turning back to them as he started into the hall,

"Now get your stuff, _both_ of you, and let's go. Time's a wastin'!"

As he closed the door, Merrick turned to Eve, a horrified expression on his face as he nearly shrieked,

"That crazy son of a-"

~ø~

"Alright, let's get going!"

Train shouted as he stood on the porch, Eve and Merrick hurriedly stepping out after him. Eve seemed particularly annoyed,

"You don't have to yell! You'll wake the whole neighbourhood!"

"_So_?"

The chestnut-haired man stuck out his tongue at her, and the girl glared him down silently. Merrick laughed. They were acting like quarrelling siblings. He idly wondered if this is how they acted when Sven was around.

"Here, Train," Annette began handing him a set of keys and a box of extra bullets,

"Susan said to take the van, since it's likely Sven won't be able to walk when you find him. And here's a box of extra bullets, just in case you need them."

"Thanks, Annette," he said taking them with a nod. He stuffed the box in his pocket and took the keys in hand; turning for the car. Eve turned and started after him, trying to grab for the keys,

"Let me drive."

"What? No! You don't even know where we're going!"

"They've got GPS in the van. I can figure it out."

"No way, Princess. Do you even have a driver's license?"

Merrick sighed, shaking his head as he started after them,

"You'd think they were children-"

"Hey."

He turned at the sound of Annette's voice and raised an eyebrow. The woman was glaring at him coldly,

"You make sure you look after her. I could care less about what happens to you in the long run, but if anything happens to that girl, you can be _damn_ sure I'll come after _you _personally, you got it?"

"I know we got off on the wrong foot, Ms. Pierce," Merrick began, a soft yet strong tone in his voice,

"But you can be sure that I would rather _die _then let anything happen to Eve."

She folded her arms and smiled a little at him; a slight sense of relief filling her,

"Well...let's hope it doesn't come to that."

He turned and started for the van; glancing back only at the sound of a shout,

"Be careful!"

On the porch behind Annette stood Jessica, her chin-length hair fluttering about her face. The boy smiled, nodding to her shortly and calling back,

"We will."

With a blush and a smile, the girl tucked her hair behind her ear and watched him silently climb into the back seat of the van. Her smile faded as they started the vehicle and drove away, and she was filled with a sense of dread.

**Something awful was going to happen that morning...but what she didn't know.**

* * *

**A/N: Guess what happens in the next chapter, gaiz~ **

**I'm excited. 8D  
**


	46. XLII

**A/N: Well, here it is, guys. I have literally been waiting FOUR YEARS to write this chapter. Unintentional, yes, but four years nonetheless. My God. I think I'm gonna cry...  
**

* * *

**XLII**

Annette scowled as she sat by the front window, shot gun in hand. She looked at the clock. It was 6:45. Train and the others had been gone for almost 20 minutes. Mapping it out in her head, the coordinates for the lab that had been sent to Train were approximately 20 to 30 minutes from the safe house. They would be arriving there anytime, now. She swallowed hard. What awaited them there? Train had said that things with Sven weren't "looking good". Just how bad were they really? By the time they got there, would he even be alive?

She shook her head. It was no use mulling over it. Whatever happened, happened. There was no changing things. The only thing she could do was keep a firm lookout and make sure that none of Warren's goons made their way to Jessica. Train had told her why it was important for her to keep the girl safe. It was possible she had the same powers her father did; the same power he passed onto Sven. The vision eye. This made her extremely valuable to Warren, who no doubt would come after that power. No matter what, Jessica must be kept safe, and that was exactly what Annette planned to do.

She would not let that man destroy another family.

~ø~

The van slowly came to a stop at the edge of Les Ses Leura forest and Train sighed; killing the engine,

"This is as far as we can take her. We'll have to go the rest of the way on foot."

He climbed out of the car; making sure his gun was properly loaded and ready. Eve hopped out as well, waiting for Merrick as Train stepped on ahead. The boy groaned as he stepped out; wincing a little. She noticed this,

"You okay?"

He nodded, waving her off as he popped a couple of pills into his mouth,

"I will be."

He started forward, Eve quickly hurrying after him. The trio walked for about 10 minutes, through tangled trees and overgrown brush, until finally they reached a clearing. Train glanced down at his phone with a frown and shook his head,

"There's nothing here."

Eve's eyes darted about the clearing. Train was right, there was nothing there. Her heart raced. Had they been set up? Was this indeed a trap? Were they about to be ambushed? She readied herself for a fight; raising an eyebrow as Merrick casually walked forward, hands in his pockets.

"Merrick?"

He glanced around as he went, swallowing hard. Something _was_ here. He could feel it. But where? Where was it? Train shook his head as he scrolled to his GPS map and shook his head again,

"And what do you know?"

He turned the phone to show Eve; the girl lightly placing her fingers around it. In the centre of the map, about 13 feet from where they stood, a green light pulsated with the name SVEN in the corner. She shook her head, marching over to the spot as they took the phone,

"This can't be right! It's saying that Sven is right here," she stated, stomping on the spot where the dot was a lit,

"But this is an empty field! And I don't see him anywhere-"

"Underground."

She glanced back over at Merrick, who had stopped 10 feet ahead of her. He was standing on a patch of fresh grass. The rest of the grass in the area was spotty and dried up. He stomped his foot on the place where he stood, and a hollow thump echoed throughout the clearing. The boy was staring at the ground beneath him,

"The lab is underground."

Train walked over to the boy and nodded, stomping on the spot as well,

"That _would_ make sense wouldn't it? They don't want to be found...and we want to find them. Only natural for them to put the lab underground with no visible entrance whatsoever..."

He then knelt down and touched the grass with his hand, shaking his head,

"This grass is fake..."

He turned to Eve his right eye wide,

"Look for something out of place, something out of the ordinary. Maybe an oddly shaped twig or a stone of some kind. The lever for the door is gonna be hidden in plain sight."

She nodded shortly, turning her eyes to the ground as she began her search. Merrick glanced around as well, looking to the trees nearby for a lever or a button. After about 5 minutes of thorough searching, Eve frowned and knelt down. A box of cigarettes, the same brand that Sven used to smoke, lay about 10 feet from the patch of grass.

"Train, Merrick!"

The two of them turned and hurried over to the girl, Eve turning to Train first,

"These cigarettes...they were the type that Sven used to buy."

Train knelt down as well and made to pick up the box. He was startled by its weight, and tugged hard at it; smirking as he heard a thunk. Glancing back to the patch of grass, the three of them straightened as it slowly swung open to reveal a set of stairs. Eve's heart began racing as she stood, her eyes locked on the entrance to the lab. Sven was here; just beneath their feet. She could feel it. Four years, four _long_ years and he'd finally be home again.

She took a step forward, as if in a dream, and Train quickly grabbed her by the arm,

"Princess."

Quickly snapping out of it, she turned to the chestnut-haired man with wide, ruby eyes. He looked to her sternly,

"I know how you feel right now, I feel the same. But we need to stay focused. This could still be a trap, whether Sven is down there or not. We need to keep a clear head and be ready for whatever they throw at us."

The girl nodded, her mind quickly coming back to earth. Clenching her fists, she started forward, Train and Merrick following close behind. Stopping her at the foot of the stairs, Train stepped in first,

"He's been after you, _too,_ remember? I'll go first, just in case he's planning on shutting the door once you've stepped inside..."

Eve nodded, watching him go in silently. Once he'd cleared the entry way, he motioned for them to follow, which they both did quickly. It grew gradually darker as they proceeded. Train cursed as he felt something thunk under his foot and he spun around; a glimpse of sunlight peeking through the entryway just before it slammed shut. They were suddenly immersed in darkness.

"Well, this is _great_," Merrick groaned, a slight bit of sarcasm slipping into his voice,

"Anyone here have _low-light vision_? I know _my_ class didn't come with that."

Sighing, Eve took out her cellphone and flipped it open. She took the screen up to it's highest brightness setting and turned it to face in front of her. It gave them a good ten feet of vision. Train nodded, doing the same with his,

"Good thinking, Princess~! Let's just hope our batteries don't die before we get out of this tunnel..."

"Depends. Did you remember to charge yours before we left?"

"..."

"Good job, Train."

"Hey, I was too busy trying to think of a game plan, okay?"

"Sure, whatever you say."

From there, they walked; deeper and deeper down the long dark staircase until finally they reached the bottom. It was rather cold and damp, but at least in this tunnel there were lights strung along the ceiling. Eve closed her phone as Train turned his over to look at it. The GPS signal was now behind them,

"Okay, now I'm pissed."

Merrick took a look at it and frowned, glancing around,

"It must go deeper, I guess. That's the only way to explain it."

He looked up at the tunnel and frowned. There were a few possible entryways to go through; three to be exact. Eve noticed this too,

"We'll each pick one and see where it goes."

"No way," Train said, shaking his head sternly,

"Warren wants you. What if he just shuts the door once you go through it?"

The girl scowled, storming over to the nearest entryway an stepping through it. She then turned to them, hand on her hips,

"I don't see it shutting behind me, do you?"

Merrick half expected it to close as soon as the words left her lips. But it didn't. It never closed. The girl glanced around a bit and walked in a little further, disappearing momentarily. After a minute, she came back out and sighed,

"We can rule that way out. It's just the laundry room."

Train nodded as she started toward the next one, following her inside. Merrick headed to the last one on his own and frowned. This one had a door to it. Turning the knob, his eyes widened as he peeked inside a fully lit room; the fluorescent lighting on the white tile walls hurting his eyes. Across the room, he spotted another stairway that led downward in a curved angle; an angle heading back toward Sven's signal,

"Guys," he called back to them; his voice reverberating against the walls,

"I think I found it!"

Eve quickly appeared behind him and grabbed him by the arm, spinning him around to face her,

"What are you yelling for, you idiot! Do you want them to hear us?"

"Calm down! If they were coming for us, I think they would've been here by now," the boy shot back, shaking his head shortly as he pulled his arm away from her iron grasp,

"Besides...I think Warren wants us to find Sven. He's baiting us."

Train nodded as he stepped up behind them, seeming to tense up a little as he started into the next room,

"I was figuring that, too. This all seems way too easy..."

Eve narrowed her eyes at Train's fleeing figure and quickly started after him; blushing slightly in embarrassment,

"I-I knew that..."

"Sure you did, _Princess_. Sure you did..."

"Shut up, Train. No one asked you."

~ø~

**"Warren, sir! They're coming down the staircase now! Should we stop them?"**

"No," the raven-haired man said softly, an almost dreamy tone to his voice,

"Let them come. I want to see the look on their faces when they're all reunited."

He sat, leaning back in his chair in the observation room, gazing out at the lab through the large window in front of him. It was as if he was in a daze. A smile crossed his face as he turned his eyes to the security monitor. They were almost there now; almost to the lab.

A breathy laugh escaped him,

"What a joyous reunion this will be..."

~ø~

Eve frowned as they reached another lighted tunnel at the base of the stairs, her heart pounding,

"Is that it...?"

Train took a deep breath. There was only one door at the end of the hall. Cautiously, he took out his pistol and started forward; Merrick and Eve following close behind. The tunnel seemed endless; as though they were getting farther from the door as they walked nearer to it. Merrick felt his vision beginning to warp. This place was like a fun house; it felt as though the tunnel were beginning to spin underneath him. Finally, they reached the door and Train swallowed hard; taking hold of the knob. He turned back to Eve and the girl nodded; readying herself for whatever lay behind it. Carefully, he opened it and took a step inside; the blinding white lights in this room throwing him off a little.

Eve squinted as she stepped in behind him; quickly looking around. There was no sign of him; no sign of Sven anywhere. Following closely after her, Merrick winced at the brightness of the lights. It took a minute for his eye to adjust, but the pain did not stop. His left eye was beginning to throb. Train, with his gun at the ready, hurried over to a nearby room and threw open the door. There was a bed inside bearing a mess of sheets along with some medical equipment. He narrowed his eyes at it.

_'"Train, he's not answering!"'_

_'Those must have been the machines Sven was hooked up to,' _Train surmised, stepping into the room,

_'But where is he now?'_

Eve sighed as she walked to a nearby mirror at her right. The mirror was long; spanning the whole wall. She frowned as she looked into it. Where was he? Where was Sven? She noticed something odd in the mirror then; something that appeared to be a person posted to the wall behind her. For a moment, she thought it to be some kind of mural or figure; like the man on the cross at Dawson Street Church.

Her eyes widened.

**"Brain Activity - 13 percent. Heart Rate - 20bpm. Vital Organ Functionality - 35 percent..."**

Slowly, she turned herself around to look at the figure; her heart stopping at the sight of them.

"Train!"

The chestnut-haired man quickly left the room he was in and hurried over to her. He frowned, noting the horrified expression on her face,

"Princess, what is it?"

**"Vision Eye Functionality - 10 percent."**

The strange automated voice drew him to the spot where Eve was staring and he felt his stomach drop; his golden eyes growing wide as they met with the skeletal figure,

"Oh my God..."

Merrick turned to look as well. A man with long, jade hair was strapped against the wall. His frail body was hooked up to numerous machines by wires, and he gazed down at them blankly; his eyes completely void of life. This man; from his facial features he could recognise him as the man from his visions. This was the man that Eve had spent four years of her life searching for; the man she dreamed of day and night. This was the man Train had called his partner; his best friend. This was Lloyd Goldwynne's former partner in the IBI.

This man was Sven Vollfied.

Trembling, Eve let out a strangled cry and ran forward; her golden hair spiralling up into two large hands as she zoomed across the room to him. Train shouted after her, rushing forward as well,

"_Princess_!"

Merrick watched in shocked silence as the scene played out before him. As the two enormous hands lunged forward to pry Sven from the wall, they were stopped automatically by an unseen, electric current and the girl let out a shriek; quickly drawing them back as she fell flat on her face. Train tensed as he hurried to the girl, kneeling down at her side,

"You okay!"

The girl grunted as she pushed herself up off of the floor, her eyes immediately travelling upward to look at Sven. He looked so weak and tiny; nothing like the man that had disappeared four years ago. She gazed at him; her heart beginning to crumble. His eyes were lifeless.

"How very touching!"

Train cursed as he glanced behind him, immediately spotting Jonas Warren by the mirrored wall,

"Warren..."

Merrick tensed as Warren began slowly clapping and he winced, his brain beginning to burn. The man laughed a little as he ceased his applause, and sighed deeply,

"How very touching, indeed. You must be so relieved to see him. It's been how long now? Four years?"

He began to cackle at that and the chestnut-haired man stood up straight, raising his pistol up so that it was level with Warren's head,

"Let Sven go, now, or I'll blow your brains out."

His eyes were narrowed sharply, almost cat-like in appearance. Warren ceased his laughter at this but continued to smile, his voice melodic as he spoke,

"My oh my...you really _are_ as ruthless as they say, aren't you? Not nearly as docile as the kitten I played with before-"

_BANG._

A bullet flew right past Warren's head at that moment, embedding itself in the mirrors behind him. Train snarled, his body filled with rage. It took every ounce of energy he had not to shoot this man between the eyes,

"Let him down, now, you sick bastard! This game of yours is _over_!"

Warren, seemingly unfazed by this, began to giggle softly and cocked his head to the side,

"Oh is it, now? Since when?"

The chestnut-haired man growled at this; the pistol in his hand beginning to tremble slightly with his anger as he fought off his instincts to kill. His could only see red. He was beginning to feel himself falling back into those shoes...the shoes of his former life. He longer he stood there, gun aimed at this man's head, the closer he was to turning back into the Black Cat.

Suddenly, a shrill, anguished scream erupted from behind him and he glanced back; a blur of black and gold zooming past him seconds later.

In a torrent of tears, Eve raised her right arm and transformed it into a long, sharp blade; her voice breaking as her screams left her lips,

"LET HIM _GO_!"

As she drew nearer to the raven-haired man, Merrick let out a loud yelp; falling to his knees. Train glanced over at him, eyes wide,

"Kid?"

The machines behind them began to whir to life, and Warren smirked.

Train heard a strange gurgling sound coming from behind him and he spun around; eyes wide in horror as he watched Sven begin to convulse. The man shook in his restraints for only a few seconds and the heart rate monitor nearby began to go insane. Eve stopped her assault promptly upon hearing this, and as she turned to look; a solid, resonating tone echoed throughout the area. Her heart stopped as blood flew from Sven's nose and mouth and he fell lifeless; his eyes no longer seeing anything.

He was gone.

_**"SVEN!"**_

* * *

**A/N:...join me in my sobbing, won't you?**_**  
**_


	47. XLIII

**XLIII**

Jessica sighed as she sat in the main room, gazing at the coffee table. Her mother was in the kitchen making breakfast, and the woman, Annette, was to her right by the far window. She looked down at the worn out teddy bear in her hands. She smiled. No matter how worried or scared she got, she could always look to her bear and instantly feel that everything would be okay. Her mother had told her that it was because it was filled with her father's love for her. The thought always made her feel better. She only wished she had actually gotten to know him before he died.

The girl gasped as the lights suddenly cut out and she straightened, holding the bear to her heart,

"Mom?"

Annette cursed as she hurried into the nearest bedroom and opened one of the dresser drawers. She pulled a pistol from it's contents and handed it to Susan as the woman hurriedly lead her daughter into the room with her,

"You know how to use one of these?"

Susan nodded,

"Yes, my husband showed me once or twice."

"Good, cause you'll need it."

She then started for the front door; motioning to Susan as she turned to leave,

"Both of you stay here. Keep out of the windows. If I'm not back in five minutes, use my cell and call the cops."

She tossed her phone to Jessica, who caught it with a short nod. Annette then left the room and Susan took a deep breath, putting her arm around her daughter,

"Don't worry, baby. I won't let anyone get you."

The girl nodded quietly as her mother kissed her softly on the forehead and closed her eyes.

She then let out a scream and pushed her mother away from her, her heart racing,

"Mom, get down!"

Confused at first, the woman quickly covered her head as the window on the far wall suddenly shattered with a hail of bullets...

~ø~

"_Princess_!"

Merrick coughed sharply as he opened his eyes. Eve was running forward toward Sven. Train was chasing after her. He glanced around. Warren was nowhere in sight. His head throbbed still, but less so than it had been moments ago. He looked up at Sven upon hearing the girl cry out in pain as she was stung by the electric barrier surrounding him. He shook his head, wiping his nose of blood. It hadn't happened. Sven was not dead. Not yet, anyway.

Train tensed as he hurried to the girl, kneeling down at her side,

"You okay!"

The girl grunted as she pushed herself up off of the floor, her eyes immediately travelling upward to look at Sven.

"How very touching!"

Train cursed as he glanced behind him, immediately spotting Jonas Warren by the mirrored wall,

"Warren..."

Warren began slowly clapping. Merrick glanced back at Eve. The girl was pushing herself up from the floor; her gaze still set on Sven. The boy tensed; clenching his fists. She'd be attacking Warren any minute now.

Warren laughed a little as he ceased his applause, and sighed deeply,

"How very touching, indeed. You must be so relieved to see him. It's been how long now? Four years?"

He began to cackle at that and the chestnut-haired man stood up straight, raising his pistol up so that it was level with Warren's head,

"Let Sven go, now, or I'll blow your brains out."

His eyes were narrowed sharply, almost cat-like in appearance. Warren ceased his laughter at this but continued to smile, his voice melodic as he spoke,

"My oh my...you really _are_ as ruthless as they say, aren't you? Not nearly as docile as the kitten I played with before-"

_BANG._

A bullet flew right past Warren's head at that moment, embedding itself in the mirrors behind him. Train snarled,

"Let him down, now, you sick bastard! This game of yours is _over_!"

Warren, seemingly unfazed by this, began to giggle softly and cocked his head to the side,

"Oh is it, now? Since when?"

The chestnut-haired man growled at this; the pistol in his hand beginning to tremble slightly with his anger.

A shriek sounded throughout the lab and Train spun around in surprise as Eve began to charge; her arm transforming into a blade,

"LET HIM _GO_-!"

Merrick took this time to quickly jump in front of her, much to the chestnut-haired man's shock, and restrained her with all of his strength; shouting at the top of his lungs,

"EVE, STOP!"

"Wh-! _WHY_!"

She tried to wriggle free, tears cascading down her delicate cheeks as her eyes became filled with pain and anger,

"WHY _SHOULD_ I! YOU SEE HIM UP THERE, _DON'T YOU_! HE'S KILLING HIM! HE'S _KILLING _SVEN-!"

"AND YOU WILL TOO IF YOU DON'T STOP IT RIGHT NOW," the boy shrieked, spitting blood to the side as he winced; the girl blinking in shock as she stared at the boy blankly.

"Wh-What?"

The boy bowed his head, not even bothering to glance back at Warren as he continued,

"Well, I'm right, aren't I? If she makes another move, he'll die, right?"

Warren chuckled at that, his spectacles gleaming in the fluorescent lighting above him,

"My, my...you're more educated than I thought. Not just a common criminal, ey?"

Eve stared blankly at the muddy-haired boy, her body stiff,

"Wh...what does that mean, 'he'll die'? What are you talking about?"

Train's eyes darkened as the boy continued softly; his tone solemn,

"You've sucked him dry...he's got no more left in him. The vision eye is used up."

"Yes," Warren replied, much to the chestnut-haired man's horror,

"The eye has nigh been spent. As has the vessel-"

"Vessel?"

The gun in Train's hand began to shake with rage and he snarled; glaring Warren down,

"Sven's not a machine you can just run into the ground! He's a human being-"

"Hardly-"

"SHUT UP!"

_BANG BANG._

Two more bullets embedded in the mirrors. Smoke spiralled up from the gun past Train's deadly eyes; his teeth grinding together,

"Say something else, Warren. Just one more word..."

Eve's eyes were blank as she gazed at the broken image of Sven in the mirror, then turned her eyes to Merrick. He could see that she was lost; she didn't know what to do. Sighing deeply, the boy turned away from her, whispering softly,

"Don't worry, Eve. I have an idea."

She frowned as he took a step forward, staring squarely at his back as he stood up straighter.

The boy narrowed his eye,

"I'll make a deal with you, Warren. Let Sven go and I'll give you what you want."

The raven-haired man raised an eyebrow at this, an amused smile on his face,

"Come again?"

~ø~

Jessica gasped as the shooting stop and motioned to her mother, her eyes wide,

"Mom, come over here, now!"

The woman hesitated a moment, then quickly crawled across the floor to her daughter, cradling her tightly as she reached her,

"Are you all right! Jessie how did you know-"

"I'll explain later," the girl whispered, beginning to pull her mother toward the door,

"Right now we need to go."

"Go? But Ms. Pierce told us to stay-"

"They're going to barge in, Mom. Any minute now! Through the window!"

Susan opened her mouth to say something else, but was interrupted by the sound of shattering glass. Behind them now stood a man in a business suit with slick brown hair and sunglasses. He held what looked like a sniper rifle in his hand; he must have been the one shooting before. He turned in their direction, spotting them almost immediately and Susan gasped as Jessica immediately stood up,

"Jessie!"

Quickly the girl pried a lamp from the table beside the love seat and hurled it at him. It him square in the chest and he grunted; stumbling backward. The girl then grabbed her mother's arm and pulled her up, charging for the door,

"C'mon! We have to go!"

Once he'd regained his balance, the man cursed and shot after them; firing at their fleeing figures.

On their way down the hall, Jessica made sure to bang on every door possible, screaming at the top of her lungs,

"Fire! Fire! Everybody out!"

Susan frowned as her daughter did this; glancing back every so often as the man followed them. He had lost his rifle and was now carrying a pistol. These men came fully equipped.

"Jessie, what are you doing? You're going to get all of these people caught in this!"

"So will _they_, Mom. They plan on breaking into all of these rooms just to find us...and then once they catch us, they're going to blow up the building and kill everyone left behind."

The blonde woman's eyes widened upon hearing this and they hurried down the stairwell,

"How...how do you know all of this?"

The girl swallowed hard and shook her head, sighing deeply,

"Because...I can see it."

As they reached the lobby, she turned to her mother and bit her lip as the residents began pouring out of their rooms,

"I can see the future, Mom. The dreams never stopped. I just told you they did because...because I didn't want you to think I was a freak, anymore."

Susan straightened at that; her mouth falling open in shock as the girl pulled her faster,

"He's coming. We have to get outside! Quick!"

~ø~

"I know what you want," Merrick began, the white lights blinding over head,

"And I can give it to you. Just let Train and Eve take Sven."

Train tensed. Was this kid planning on selling Goldwynne's daughter out to Warren? He tightened his finger on the trigger of his pistol.

At this, Warren began to cackle, his eyes filling with tears of laughter,

"You? Make a deal with me? And what could you possible have that I would want, hmm?"

The boy bowed his head; his fists clenching into balls at his sides. He closed his eyes,

"May 25th, 1994."

Warren's laughter ceased as the date left Merrick's lips and he straightened,

"I'm sorry?"

"May. Twenty-fifth. Nineteen ninety-four."

Train frowned as Warren's disposition began to change. He became nervous; twitchy. The boy was on to something.

"Wh-What about-"

"That was the day you killed your wife and son. May 25th, 1994."

Warren pressed his back against the mirrored wall; his heart beginning to race,

"W-Wife?"

"Sarah."

Merrick glared him down with a solitary grey eye, his jaw tightening,

"She was a nurse at a children's hospital. And you killed her."

"No...no I didn't."

"And you mutilated your son. Left him to die along with her!"

"No...that's wrong! That wasn't...that was someone else-"

"Oh, well, you're right about that," the boy scoffed, taking a step closer to him,

"That _was_ someone else. Cause you were going by a different name back then, weren't you?_ Jeremiah_?"

Eve stared blankly at Warren as the man began to panic; his crazed sapphire eyes darting all over the place. He then settled them on the boy; his raven hair beginning to fall in front of his face,

"Shut your mouth!"

His hand warped suddenly, becoming a long serrated blade and Eve gasped, her body tensing as he took a swipe at the boy,

"Merrick, look out!"

But she didn't need to warn him. Raising his hand calmly, he caught the bladed arm in his hand; leaving Warren shocked and stunned as he quickly leaped away from the boy,

"What?"

"I already told you," Merrick began, tucking the hair that hung in front of his face, in front of his scar, behind his ear,

"I have exactly what you want. May 25th, 1994..."

He opened his eyes then, _both_ of them, revealing one to be it's natural greyish-blue and the other to be bright green,

"...was the day you ruined my life, afterall..._Jeremiah. _Or should I say..."

**"**_**Dad**_**?"**

~ø~

"Ms. Pierce!"

Annette gasped as she turned from her spot at the wall, her eyes wide as she spotted Jessica and Susan rushing toward her,

"What the hell-! I thought I told you two to stay inside-"

"No use. They came in through the windows," Jessica began, starting for the road,

"We have to get out of here."

"And go where?"

Susan hurried after her daughter, the girl turning to Annette as the woman rose from her spot,

"To your cafe, ma'am."

"But they'll be crawling all over the place," Annette protested, shaking her head as she glanced around for more goons,

"They'll expect us to go there."

Jessica straightened at that, shaking her head,

"No. If I'm right, someone already took care of them for us."

"Someone?"

The sound of screeching tires suddenly broke through the air and Jessica turned, her hair whipping violently about her face as a bright yellow, drop-top porsche skidded to a halt in front of her. Behind the wheel sat a busty woman with shoulder-length lavender hair. She pulled off her sunglasses and looked the girl square in the eye,

"Jessica Goldwynne?"

The brunette nodded shortly, tucking her hair behind her ear. Annette recognised this woman from a previous encounter, one in which she had posed as a damsel in distress being chased by a gang of rowdy thugs. That had been years ago.

The lavender-haired woman then motioned for the back seat,

"Get in."

~ø~

Train's eye widened as he glanced back and forth between them, swallowing hard,

_'Dad?'_

Eve felt her body going numb as she gazed at Merrick, her mind completely blank. This man...was Merrick's father? How was that possible?

Even Warren seemed surprised to hear it. He stared at the boy, his crazed sapphires gazing at the emerald eye,

"I-It's...it's impossible..."

Merrick stared at him silently. The raven-haired man ran his hand up through his hair; his eyes wide and his body trembling. Train straightened at this. Warren was out of commission. He could easily over power him in this state, take Sven and Eve get the hell out of this place. He quietly cocked his pistol.

"Do it and Sven dies, _Caboose_."

The chestnut-haired man straightened at the boy's harsh words, his body growing cold. e grit his teeth sharply,

"You expect me to just stand here and do nothing, then? Is that what you're saying?"

"No," the muddy-haired boy bowed his head; fists clenched at his sides,

"I'm saying I'll handle this. Now, shut up already."

He turned back to Warren, who still seemed to be in a daze, and barked sharply,

"Listen up!"

Warren snapped to attention, seeming to regain himself at such an order, and narrowed his eyes angrily,

"Yes?"

"By approximation, I can see about 10 minutes into the future, sometimes longer. With this eye, I can move faster than you can blink. You don't even need to bother with Jessica Goldwynne. She doesn't have the vision eye, and even if she did, her skills wouldn't _nearly_ be as honed as mine. At this point, my eye is the best chance you have of continuing this little project of yours."

Eve stared at the boy silently, her body going numb. What was he thinking, telling Warren all of this? As he continued, she could feel a strange void beginning to open between them.

"You got all that? Sven's all used up. What use do you have for him anymore, especially when you've got a stronger eye right here; in a body that will hold up years longer?"

Warren straightened at that, readjusting his glasses with smile,

"You do have a point..."

"So, what do you say, then? Let Train and Eve take Sven out of here...and take me instead."

The ruby-eyed girl gasped at the boy's offer and shook her head, reaching out and grabbing his shoulder,

"Merrick, no! You can't do that!"

The boy remained silent; refusing to look at her. There was a long pause amidst the group, the only sound being that of the heart rate monitors Sven was hooked up to and the occasional robotic voice announcing his stats.

After a few moments, Warren smirked and shrugged, letting out a sigh,

"Why not? Go ahead and have him back, Black Cat. His time of usefulness to me is over."

Train straightened as he heard the sound of machines whirring behind him and Merrick spoke bluntly,

"Eve, hurry over there and catch him before he hits the ground. It's all right. The barrier's gone."

Confused, the petite blonde turned around to see that the clamps restraining Sven were retracting and she gasped; quickly running forward.

Train remained in his spot as he watched the girl run forward ahead of him. As all of the clamps pulled away, Sven began to fall and the girl quickly threw forward two large hands of hair. He fell right into them and she lowered him gently to the ground, kneeling at his side as soon as she reached him,

"Sven!"

Pulling him into her arms, the girl gasped at how light he had become. Tears welled in her eyes as she gazed down at him, this shadow of the man she knew, and she bit her lip; burying her face in his faded hair,

"I'm sorry..."

The chestnut-haired man turned back to Warren and Merrick, his eyes narrowing,

"Kid, you can't seriously think we'll let you stay here-"

"You don't really have a choice in the matter, do you," the boy shot back, his voice solemn and sorrowful,

"Now go on. Get Sven out of here. He needs a doctor."

He turned away from the boy, fists at his sides,

"This isn't over. Not by a long shot. If Sven dies, I'll have your head, _Warren_."

The raven-haired man only smiled at that as he watched Train hurry over to Eve. He knelt down and lightly grabbed Sven's arm. The man was already cold and steadily growing colder. Quickly, he hoisted Sven up onto his back; cursing softly at how little he weighed. The two of them started for the door; Eve turning back to look at Merrick. The boy still had his back turned. She felt her stomach tightening as the void between them expanded and she called out to him; hand falling to her middle,

"Merrick!"

"Just go, Eve. Get Sven out of here...and don't come back. Don't _ever_ come back."

His words felt like a knife digging deep into her heart and she turned away from him; her eyes beginning to blur with tears. Quickly, she blinked them away and hurried out of the lab after Train. Merrick bowed his head as the sound of her footsteps dissipated and a hard lump developed in his throat.

The sound of Warren's cackling brought back him to attention and the boy raised an eyebrow, frowning,

"What's so funny?"

The raven-haired man sighed, his laughter subsiding momentarily,

"I never promised to let them go _safely,_ now did I? Oops."

The boy's eyes widened at that and he clenched his fists tightly; feeling himself go numb.

* * *

**A/N: Me? Kill Sven? Oh, you guys. LOL**


	48. XLIV

XLIV

Train cursed as they chased down the long hallway. It barely felt like he was carrying Sven at all, and the man's shallow, unsteady breathing didn't help ease his mind. They had to hurry. As they climbed the spiral staircase back to the upper level, the chestnut-haired man gasped and came to a halt. Eve frowned, nearly running into him as he stopped suddenly,

"What is, Train?"

The golden-eyed man narrowed his eyes as he glanced out into the brightly lit room. There was a body lying on the floor; the body of what looked to be an Eraser. Pistol at the ready, Train nodded to the girl, who transformed her hair into a shield and headed for the front. She cautiously entered the room with the body, Train close behind her. There was no one there; no one but the body.

Eve frowned as she looked down at the body, keeping the shield up in case anyone jumped out,

"Is he dead?"

Carefully, as not drop Sven, Train knelt down and lightly pressed his fingers to the Eraser's neck. The man groaned and twitched, to which Train quickly drew back,

"That answer your question?"

The man did not stir any further. They quickly hurried from the room and back into the long hall. More bodies lay strewn about; each in the same unconscious state. Train frowned as they hurried past, eyeing each one carefully,

"What the hell happened here?"

"It's better if you don't ask questions. Just keep going."

A voice called from the shadows. The two of them stopped, Eve readying for a fight. There were cries of pain from down the hall, and the voice echoed again, further stressed,

"Hurry it up, Heartnet! He's running out of time!"

Train's ear twitched at the voice. Something about it sounded vaguely familiar. Shaking his head, he motioned to Eve and the two hurried back down the hall toward the stairs.

~ø~

As they reached the surface, Train cursed, the sun beaming brightly through the trees. He glanced around; shaking his head,

"Shit."

"Train, what is it?"

Quickly, he laid Sven out on the grass and checked his pulse, cursing again,

"He won't make it, Princess. Not at this rate."

The ruby-eyed girl shook her head and quickly took hold of one of Sven's skeletal hands, her eyes wide,

"No! He can't...! Train we have to do something!"

The chestnut-haired man stood and took a deep breath,

"I could try and make a run for the car and drive it back here, but...but navigating through the woods will just eat up time."

Eve bit her lip and looked back down at Sven. He looked so weak. There had to be a way to get him back to the safe house; to get him seen to before it was too late. As soon as the thought left her mind, a strange sound echoed out from within the forest. It almost sounded like trees falling. Raising her gaze, her eyes widened as a bright yellow porsche emerged from the brush and came to a swerving halt; the driver calling out to them,

"Train, Eve!"

Train raised his head, his eyes wide as a lavender-haired woman popped out of the car and into view,

"Rinslet!"

"Hurry up and get in! Both of you!"

Nodding shortly, Train quickly grabbed Sven; hoisting his arm around his shoulder. Eve took his other side as they hurried over to her car. Rinslet's eyes widened at the sight of him; paralyzed with shock,

"Is...is that...?"

Train carefully laid him across the back seat; Eve taking a spot on the floor,

"Yeah."

Rinslet shook her head, her eyes locked on the man's now miniscule figure,

"What did they...what did they do to him, Train?"

"Bad stuff," he said sharply, a bead of sweat running down his face,

"Now, let's get out of here. Sven needs help fast."

The lavender-haired woman nodded and quickly turned back to the wheel; speeding back into the woods. She gasped upon glancing in her rear view mirror. There were men in suits posted in the trees. Each had a rifle aimed on the car. She swallowed hard,

"Train!"

He caught sight of one of them in the side view mirror and quickly turned around; aiming his pistol right at them. At this angle and distance, there would be no way he could make the shot. He cursed.

_SHING SHING._

His eyes widened as the limb the eraser had been perched on suddenly seemed to give way and the man fell to the ground; writhing in pain. The same thing began to happen with the other erasers then, and the chestnut-haired man straightened. This was...unusual...to say the least.

He turned back to the front as the rest of the Erasers fell, and glanced in the mirror again; Rinslet shrieking,

"Train, what's happening?"

He shook his head, narrowing his eyes as he spotted something. For a moment, he could've sworn he'd seen glittering wires wrapping themselves around the tree limbs,

"Honestly, I have no idea."

~ø~

"Well now, let's see..."

Merrick stood in still in his spot, his heart racing as Warren circled him like a vulture,

"Your vision eye...it's already surpassed the level of Sven's...oh what was that name he called it? 'Graspar' Eye?"

"How should_ I _know?"

The boy coldly shot back, his palms becoming clammy.

Warren seemed to giggle at that and strolled right up to the boy. Roughly, he grabbed him by the face and looked him over with a sneer,

"I'd always wondered how you would turn out, Merrick. Whether you would have grown to be a genious like me...but it seems you're a _dimwitted_ _fool_ like your mother."

The boy remained silent as he glared Warren down, his anger boiling. The raven-haired man snickered as he continued,

"I can see why you would fall for the bioweapon...she's very beautiful; _exotic, _even."

Merrick straightened at that; his eyes wide as he lowered his gaze. Warren smirked,

"Oh? You think I didn't realise just what you were hoping to accomplish here? Sacrifice yourself in place of Sven. _Win_ the fair maiden's heart. It's quite cunning of you. The only thing you took from_ me_, surely-"

"Shut up! It wasn't like that at all!"

The boy clenched his fist and started as if he were going to sock the man right in his nose. Quickly he stopped himself. This man could kill Eve and Train with the snap of his fingers should something go awry here. Warren chuckled at the boy's hesitance and stepped back from the boy, sighing,

"You are nothing that I hoped you would be, Merrick. I expected more from you...but instead I'm given a weak-willed, whishy-washy, coward of a boy whose only defence is a sickening display of false bravado."

He sighed, rubbing his temples sorely,

"I've never been more disappointed..."

Merrick snarled at that; a strange pain stinging at his heart. He didn't really care what this man thought of him, this man who brutally murdered his mother and ripped his life away from him, but the words hurt nonetheless.

"What ever shall we do with you?"

He grinned then and lowered his hand to reveal the crazed look in his eyes; Merrick tensing as a man in a lab coat appeared in the doorway behind Warren. The bright lights reflected off of his glasses, concealing his eyes, and in his hand he held a bulging medical bag. The muddy-haired boy swallowed hard and Warren, picking up the boy's tension, smiled,

"Oh, don't worry. It won't hurt once we've finished. Nothing will hurt you ever again..."

~ø~

The yellow porsche pulled up in front of Cait Sith Café, Train frowning as Rinslet clambered out,

"Why aren't we going to the safe house?"

The lavender-haired woman shook her head as she started for the front door; nodding to the sky,

"Warren's goons attacked it. Hear those sirens?"

The chestnut-haired man nodded shortly as he carefully took hold of Sven; Eve helping to lift him,

"Yeah?"

"They blew it up."

She knocked three times at the door as Train carried Sven up the steps; Eve following close behind. The lavender-haired woman turned, her eyes settling on the sickly, jade-haired man as she sighed,

"He looks bad, Train."

"No shit."

The chestnut-haired man's expression darkened and he glared right at the floor. He dared not say anymore; lest his anger blow up in the woman's face. The door swung open suddenly and there stood Annette, shotgun in hand,

"Thank god! The doctor's on his way, are either of you hurt!"

She was directing her question at Train and Eve. Train nodded as he started passed her,

"Good, how long do you think he'll be?"

Annette gasped as she spotted the jade-haired man he was carrying; nearly dropping the gun in her shock,

"Is...is that?"

Train nodded shortly as he bypassed Susan and Jessica on his way over to the corner most booth. It was the longest booth by far in the whole place; long enough to lay Sven out on it's bench. Susan covered her mouth with a trembling hand as Train set him down; a soft gasp escaping her. It was hard to believe that this man had been the same one to work with her husband all of those years ago; he was so small and frail-looking. Then again, he probably hadn't looked this way when he disappeared.

Eve rushed over and knelt down beside the booth, placing her hand gently on the ever-weakening man's forehead. He was getting colder and his breathing was becoming more strained,

"Train, he's getting worse!"

Annette quickly snapped out of her shock and hurried to the kitchen in the back, grabbing a bowl and a rag,

"I'll get some hot water. The doctor should be here in 20 minutes or so."

Train nodded, swallowing hard as he glanced down at his ailing partner,

"Let's hope he's got 20 minutes..."

Jessica straightened as she got up from her seat at the bar; hand at her heart. This man was her father's partner in the IBI...the man from the photo albums. She had never met anyone aside from her mother and the neighbours who had known her father, and if she _had_ met them, she didn't remember. Not only that, but this man also held a piece of her father; his vision eye. It was almost surreal being in the same room as him. She edged closer, her eyes widening. He looked terrible. She wondered what could have possibly happened to make him look this way; what kind of things had he been through since he disappeared?

It was frightening to think about.

She then stopped and glanced around. In all of the commotion, she hadn't realised that Merrick was missing. She frowned, shaking her head as she turned to Eve,

"What happened? Where's Merrick?"

Eve glanced back at her; her heart lurching as she bowed her head.

_'"Just go Eve. Get Sven out of here...and don't come back. Don't __**ever**__ come back..."'_

She said nothing.

Suddenly, the front door slammed open and in stepped a boy with periwinkle hair,

"Everything's checked out. Warren's goons are all gone."

A girl with raven hair that touched just passed her shoulders stepped in behind him, a slight giggle to her voice,

"Yeah, we got 'em goood~!"

Eve raised her gaze as she spotted them, her heart leaping a little as she recognised the boy,

"Leon!"

Leon straightened as he looked down at Eve, then turned his eyes to the man lying across the seats,

"Eve...! Is that?"

She bowed her head, nodding shortly as she turned back to Sven,

"Yes."

The raven-haired girl let out a squeal as she spotted Train standing nearby and ran over to him quickly, throwing her arms around him happily,

"Mister Black~!"

Train grunted as he nearly fell; his arms pinned to his sides as she squeezed the life from him,

"_Kyoko..._what a surprise."

She nuzzled him lovingly, her voice giddy with glee,

"Oh, Mister Black, it's been forever since I've seen you! I missed you! Did you get my texts? And my flowers? And my candy? And-"

She stopped as she spotted Sven from the corner of her eye and frowned; quieting a moment as she stared at him. She then wrinkled her nose up,

"Ew, Mister Whiskers. What happened to _you_?"

~ø~

A cry of pain echoed throughout the laboratory; reverberating into the dank, underground halls of the base. It was followed by another one; and another after that.

Warren smirked as the boy squirmed about on the table before him; his body hooked up to machines of all sorts and Kanzaki injecting him with all kinds of liquids.

The doctor smiled as the boy's cries lowered to a whimper and he sighed deeply, readying the next syringe,

"Calm down. This is the last injection for now..."

Merrick squeezed his eyes shut as he felt the needle pierce his skin and felt the fluid enter his arm. It started burning almost instantly and he let out a cry; quickly stifling it as Warren began to laugh at him. He bit his tongue; bit it so hard it began to bleed. Kanzaki smiled,

"That last shot was filled with nanotechnology. Don't worry, though; it wasn't nearly enough to turn you into a weapon like Jeremiah. Just enough to heal those pesky wounds of yours."

The muddy-haired boy jerked against the restraints on his wrists and kicked at the ones surpressing his ankles. The pain was overwhelming; blinding. He felt tears beginning to hit his eyes. Was this what Sven went through? For four years? This kind of pain; no wonder he was in such terrible shape.

Grinding his teeth, he tried to block it out with all of his might. He took a deep breath.

_'"There! It's called a ferris wheel, isn't it?"'_

_ -_ø-

_They stood at the foot of it; gazing up at it's sparkling lights. She turned to him, blushing ever so slightly; her ruby eyes as wide as saucers,_

_"Do you think you can see the whole city from up there?"_

_ -_ø-

_"It's a photobooth! Say 'mozzarella'!"_

_FLASH._

_Smirking, she grabbed a hold of his cheeks and pulled them to either side._

_FLASH._

_Next, she rose two fingers behind his head and stuck out her tongue._

_FLASH._

_Pulling two clumps of his hair into pigtails, she grinned._

_-_ø-

_ '"It didn't come out. It's a shame. It would've been cute, too."'_

A single tear glided down down the muddy-haired boy's cheek and he whimpered as the pain began to subside. Kanzaki stood then and sighed deeply,

"There. He should be silent for a while."

He then turned to Warren, his glasses gleaming in the light,

"And you have no qualms with this? Using your own son as a specimen?"

Warren stared at the now unconscious boy, his eyes narrowing.

_'"Come get me, Daddy!"'_

_-_ø-

_He stood behind a tree; watching from afar as they place the casket in the ground. He eyed a young woman with long, red hair wearing a short, black dress and flats. The girl fell to her knees, her body racked with sobs as she reached for the casket. Her cries were incoherent. A young boy stood beside her with wild, black hair. He wore a nice, black suit with a red tie and beside him stood an elderly woman also dressed in black. He knelt down beside the girl and wrapped his arms around her; burying his face in her shoulder. The girl continued to babble as they filled the plot with dirt only one cry intelligible as it left her lips,_

_"Merrick!"_

_ He pulled back and leaned back against the tree, tears in his eyes. Quickly he straightened himself up and put his sunglasses back on, hurrying away._

_ -_ø-

"I killed my son once before, Kanzaki," Warren said coldly,

"And for the betterment of the world... I won't hesitate to do it again."

The raven-haired doctor smiled as he nodded; gathering up his equipment,

"You're next treatment is in an hour, Jeremiah. The NS drug should be ready for use by then."

He turned then and quietly left the room; a wide smirk on his face.

No emotion. No remorse for his actions. Kanzaki laughed softly.

What a perfect specimen he had found in Jeremiah Warren. Perfect indeed...

~ø~

"Well, is it time, then?"

A man with mahogany hair stepped up to the corner of the street; dark sunglasses shielding his eyes. He wore a crisp black suit with a purple and gold tie. Up from behind him stepped another man dressed in much the same uniform. His long, black hair hung down behind him in a ponytail, and around his shoulders, he wore what looked to be a translucent sash. He nodded shortly,

"Yes. I believe it is."

A sleek, black car drove up beside them and out stepped a woman wearing a purple coat with gleaming, gold shoulder guards. Her lengthy, blonde hair fluttered in the breeze as she turned to look at the small cafe. The roman numeral, I, was etched into her forehead.

"Yes," she began softly, sword at her side,

"It's time Heartnet was made aware of our situation."

* * *

**A/N: Ohohoho~ Who could it be now? 83**


	49. XLV

**A/N: I think I caught all my typos. I was kinda tired when I wrote this one. Also, I have a feeling I won't have this done by the 20th. How sad...**

* * *

XLV

Eve sat beside the cot, her head bowed and her long, blonde hair hanging down around her face. She squeezed his weakened hand in both of her strong ones; tears pouring from her eyes. Her sobs were loud and echoed throughout the small cafe; overpowering the soft humming of the ventilator he was now hooked to. Jessica stood in the doorway of the kitchen, as the girl's bellows continued; unable to speak.

"What do you mean there's nothing you can do?"

She turned back to the scene behind her. Train was glaring down at a man with short, brown hair and a thick brown moustache,

"You're a doctor, aren't you? What do you mean you _can't_ help him!"

Rinslet kept a strong hold on one of the man's arms; trying her best to keep him from punching the doctor's lights out.

The man shook his head and sighed deeply,

"I'm very sorry. I did my best! That machine is all that's keeping him here-"

"SHUT UP!"  
He broke free of Rinslet's hold and lunged at the man; taking him by the collar,

"Shut up! You think you know everything? Well, you _don't_! That's my partner in there! And he's practically Eve's father! You can't just come in here and tell me he's not coming out of it!"

The doctor sighed deeply, bowing his head,

"I wish I could tell you differently, Train...but the fact of the matter is, he's simply not strong enough at this point. His body is shutting down. And his mind is already..."

He stopped himself.

Kyoko stood off to the side, hand on her heart as she watched her idol beginning to crumble,

"Mister Black..."

Susan sat in the corner booth, her face buried in her hands as she sobbed. Annette stood at the counter; tears silently streaming down her cheeks. Rinslet stepped up behind Train, grabbing his shoulder lightly,

"Train."

The doctor raised his head, looking the chestnut-haired man directly in the eye,

"I'm sorry. I truly am."

Train bowed his head at that and reluctantly released the man from his grasp. He staggered away; Annette stepping over to the doctor with a sorrowful tone in her voice,

"Is there any hope? Any at all? Could Sven maybe come out of this on his own?"

The doctor lowered his tone, as if to try and keep Train from overhearing, but it was no use. He could hear the words anyway.

"Truthfully, Annette, it would take a miracle. As he is right now, and without that machine...Sven wouldn't last another hour on this Earth. I'm terribly sorry."

Eve's sobbing rang over them as the group went quiet. Train slammed his fists against the counter; his head hanging low as tears began to slip from his eyes. They slid down his nose, splashing softly on the polished wood surface,

"Dammit...dammit!"

Rinslet hurried over to him, placing a hand gently on his back,

"Train, he's wrong. He doesn't know Sven like you and I do! Remember that time four years ago? When I first wanted you guys to break into Torneo's lab? Eve...she _gutted_ Sven. And he was back up in 12 hours!_ Twelve_! He even stormed the mansion with you, remember?"

The chestnut-haired man remained silent. Rinslet smiled, leaning in a little closer,

"Sven's tougher than this, Train. I_ know_! I watched him take cannonballs to the gut! And besides, I thought you said you weren't gonna give up on him again. What happened to that, huh?"

"I failed him."

She straightened at the man's broken voice; her eyes wide as he continued ever so softly,

"That's what happened, Rins...I _failed_ him."

_ SILENCE._

"Quite the contrary, Heartnet. _I_ am the one who failed here."

The chestnut-haired man jumped up as he heard the voice, his eyes darting immediately for the door. Annette cursed as the door swung open. She'd forgotten to lock it when the doctor had shown up. As it opened, Rinslet's mouth went dry and Leon, who was standing by the door; stared wide-eyed at the man now standing in the open threshold,

"No...No way..."

Train stared blankly at the raven-haired man; his heart lurching in a wild mix of emotions, most of which comprised of anger,

"Li...!"

Lin Xiao Li looked back at the group silently, his eyes scanning the room. He spotted a young girl with brown-hair. He smiled slightly,

"Oh, I see you found Miss Goldwynne. That's good. I was beginning to worry-"

Faster than he could blink, a bullet shot at him, out from the barrel of Train Heartnet's pistol. He glared blankly at the Number, his eyes cold and dark. Li stared back at him quietly. It looked as though the former assassin was about to resurface at any minute. Rinslet narrowed her eyes at Li, her fists clenched at her sides as she reached back for the whip tucked into her coat,

"And just what the hell do _you _care about her? You just want to turn her over to Warren, don't you? Like the good little _dog_ you are!"

He said nothing. The lavender-haired woman let out a frustrated growl at that and squeezed her eyes shut,

"How dare you...! How dare you even think of showing your face...after what you did!"

The memory of the last time she saw _him_ came to mind; his hand on her cheek, gently brushing her tears away. And then the explosion. The explosion that had ripped him away from her.

_'"I've always loved you."'_

With tears in her eyes, she pulled out the whip and leapt forward,

"I'll make you pay!"

She swung down hard; the lash drawing close to Li's head as it came crashing down.

_SCHING._

And then it stopped; suspended in the air as if it were floating. She could just make out the taut wires that kept it from striking down on him.

"_Easy_, babe, _easy._ Don't have a cow..."

Her eyes widened as he stepped into view and her heart stopped. It was like looking at a ghost. Train straightened as the mahogany-haired man calmly stepped inside, his eyes wide,

"Hazard...?"

Leon tensed at this. What was going on? Had this guy been with the enemy all along? How else would he still be alive if he weren't? He knew that the black-haired one had been Warren's right hand man, but he hadn't even thought to suspect this goof ball of being on the opposing team. Glancing over at Train and Rinslet, he cursed. Neither of them looked like they had any clue of what to do.

Annette frowned as she looked to the chestnut-haired man, her eyebrow raised curiously,

"Train...what's going on?"

"_I'll_ be the one to explain that."

From behind the two men stepped a woman with long, golden hair; a woman Rinslet recognised to be,

"Sephiria Arks?"

Sephiria offered them all a warm smile,

"You all can relax. We're not here to cause you any grief. Like I said, I'll explain everything."

~ø~

Merrick stared blankly at the floor as he sat on the edge of a rickety bed; likely the same one that hosted Sven for four years. He narrowed his eyes as he mindlessly ran a hand over his stomach. The wound, the stiches...it was all gone. There wasn't a trace of the injury left on him; not even a scar. That was the power of nanotechnology; the power Eve possessed. The power _Warren_ possessed.  
He buried his face in his hands and let out an aggravated sigh. Warren had let them escape hours ago, but he also learned that he had sent out Erasers to stop them and retrieve Eve. He hadn't gotten any news that they'd been captured, so he supposed they had held their own just fine. Were they back at the safe house now? Were they all right? Was Sven still alive?

The man had looked to be on his last legs; infact, Merrick knew he had been. That vision of the man's death had shown him that. He couldn't have had much strength left in him...if any at all. Maybe, though, they had gotten him some help. Maybe he was being treated now, by doctors, good ones. Maybe he would be okay. And maybe, just maybe, Eve would have the man that she had missed so much back in her life. He'd be there to see her graduate, go off to college...even get married.

That thought sent a sharp pang through his heart. He shook his head. It's not like he would've been that man, anyway...the man Eve chose to spend the rest of her life with. She probably had no idea of how he felt toward her, and now, she certainly never would. A tear dripped from his eye and he gasped; quickly wiping his face. This was the fate he had chosen; the life he had resigned himself to. He had made this deal, this pact with the Devil, to never again be free; all in exchange for the life of the man Eve loved with all of her heart.

There was a knock at the door and the boy looked up. His eyes narrowed as Warren's face appeared in the sliding window,

"Well, it looks like you're finally awake."

The boy glared at him silently. Warren seemed to giggle at his mood and adjusted his glasses,

"I have news. According to my calculations, Sven Vollfied is dead."

Merrick continued to glare at the man; his hands clenching around his knees. Warren snickered,

"Oh? No reaction? Then how would you feel if I told you that the bioweapon is in custody and Doctor Kanzaki will be performing tests on her momentarily?"

The boy's eyes widened and his face flushed of all it's colour. So...they had been caught?

"Just kidding."

The muddy-haired boy stood at that and clenched his fists, shouting at the top of his lungs,

"Is there something you want! If not, then I'd like you to kindly _fuck off_!"

Warren grinned.

"Tell me, Merrick. What did you think of the mother I sent you?"

The boy straightened, raising an eyebrow in confusion at the abrupt changed the subject,

"Excuse me?"

"Oh you know," the raven-haired man smiled, a vile tone to his voice,

"That old woman I hired to take care of you...what was her name again? Ah yes..._Margaret._"

"What...did you say?"

"Do you wonder why no one wanted you, Merrick? Why everyone thought you were cursed? It's because _I _made it so. None of those fools were good enough to raise you...so I disposed of them."

The boy's eyes widened at that as he remembered the pain of those days he spent being passed from family to family. Horrible things had befallen each of them. He thought it was because of him; he would see something in a waking dream and then it would happen. _Horrible_ things would happen. And each time, he had been returned to the Social Services office; the families he had been hoping would love him cursing his name and calling him a freak. But then, like an angel, Maggie had come to him. Maggie had freed him from all of that pain. She had loved him; treated him like a human being. Nothing bad had happened with Maggie. With her he had been safe...

"And then I came upon Margaret," Merrick bowed his head as Warren continued, the man's words driving ice into his heart,

"Do you know what her occupation was before I found her? I'll tell you...she didn't _have _one! She was homeless; destitute. Staggering about town, drunk off of her ass...her only possession being that of a garment bag; which I have no doubt was filled with her endless supply of _booze_! That woman was at the end of her rope when I found her. So, I bought her out. I gave her money and a house... made her suitable for foster care. All so she could raise you, in a loving environment, and give you the opportunity to expand the capabilities of that extraordinary eye..."

The boy gazed at the floor; his mind numb. It couldn't be...not Maggie. Maggie was stronger than that...she was a stronger person than that!

"Oh? You didn't know?" Warren chuckled softly, "You thought she actually took you in because she wanted you? That's_ laughable_..."

The man then smiled and sighed deeply, shaking his head,

"I must say, she _was_ rather clever, though. Telling you to stray from the life of a sweeper...quite ingenious. Your license fell inactive, which led me to believe you had actually died in that blast. I suppose that was her way of giving me the finger for not giving her a raise."

"It was...it was you, then," the boy stammered, his heart growing hollow,

"The one who killed her that night...?"

"Of course it was," Warren snickered, his glasses gleaming in the overhead lighting,

"Who _else_ would it have been?"

He turned and started away, turning back once more,

"Don't worry, though, she won't be alone down there for long. Sven Vollfied will be there to keep her company quite shortly; all thanks to _you_. The bioweapon must be _so_ happy to have _you_ as her friend..."

He laughed, sliding the window shut as the boy charged forward. He pounded his fists against the door in a rage; his eyes burning with tears,

"You bastard! Come back here!"

He continued to pound at the metal door; even as Warren had already left the area. After a few moments, his strength left him and he fell to his knees, pressing his head against the door. He ground his teeth together as tears streamed down his cheeks and he slammed his fist against the door one more time.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice cracking through his sobs,

"Eve...I'm so sorry."

~ø~

"It was almost three years ago."

Sephiria began softly, hands folded in her lap as she sat upon a stool at the bar. Train folded his arms as he leaned against the wall; glaring at her with venomous eyes. Eve had relatively gone silent by this time, and only a sob here and there could be heard from the back room.

"I met Jonas Warren in a meeting with the Elders. I wondered why he had been allowed in when his status was that of a first year Eraser. It was hardly enough clearance to get him in to see them, as it took me _several_ years within the ranks to finally be allotted a chance just to speak with them via telephone. I decided to investigate it...after Number X told me he'd discovered your partner in a secret lab within the Chronos building. About a month later, X discovered that the real Elders had been murdered...and Warren had created a program in their likeness to give out orders for me to relay to the rest of the Numbers. I had originally intended that it only be me and X involved in the operation... to extract Sven Vollfied from Warren's grasp and crush his plan to use Chronos as a tool to rule the world."

"That was," Jenos began, hopping up onto the countertop beside his superior officer,

"Until Belze and I butted in."

"Yes," Li interjected, "Neither you nor Rochefort were to get involved in the mission. Given the strength Jonas Warren possessed, Sephiria expressed a strong desire to keep as many of our Number out of the plan as possible. Unfortunately..."

He closed his eyes. He could still hear the report of Belze's death freshly in his mind. The moment Sephiria had informed them; how he had had to keep his composure. He had felt guilty for being unable to save the man.

"...Belze was killed trying to free your partner. And Number VII almost suffered the same fate shortly thereafter..."

The mahogany-haired man perked up at this point in the story, swinging his legs freely,

"Oh, is it my part now? _Riiiiiiight_, let's see. I found Vollfied in the lab about five, six months ago now? I tried to free him, but Warren sent his 'puppy' on me," he motioned to Li and shrugged,

"Well, I _thought_ he was his puppy. I woke up days later in an underground hospital with a nasty hole in my gut, but I was alive. Li came by and told me exactly what he and Sephiria just told _you_, and I wanted in on it, so I got to play dead for most of the mission~!"

He shot Rinslet a wink and smiled,

"Played that part pretty well, if I do say so myself."

The lavender-haired woman shot him a glare that sent chills down his spine and he swallowed hard, scratching the back of his neck nervously. She then shook her head and turned to Li, a deep set frown on her face,

"I don't understand then. Why did you keep trying to kill each other? What was the point in that? Why didn't you," she pointed at Jenos, "Just keep playing dead until Li and Sephiria worked out a plan?"

"Because," he coughed shortly, blushing a little,

"I wanted to see you."

This lit a firey rage in her eyes and she clenched her fists,

"So then the fighting? And all those injuries? And that explosion? Were they real? Or were they...?"

The mahogany-haired man coughed again, looking away from her quickly,

"Yeaaaaaaaaaaah, about that..."

-ø-_**TWO WEEKS PRIOR**_-ø-

_ Jenos again leapt away; cursing softly as the ribbon snagged his coat,_

_"Dammit! And this suit was Ramani, too! Do you realise how much this thing costs!"_

_"You shouldn't have worn it into battle, then."_

_He jabbed at the man again; Jenos growling to himself,_

_"Damn, you're annoying."_

_"I apologise."_

_The man smirked at that; slashing his Excelion through the air,_

_"I'm sure!"_

_ The wires sparkled as they sailed passed Li's face; leaving a deep cut in their wake. The sapphire-eyed man smirked in return,_

_"Very good, Number VII. I forgot how skilled a fighter you are."_

_Jenos pulled the wires back, smirking,_

_"So, it would seem."_

_"Then, you shall have to forgive me for what I'm about to do."_

_ The mahogany haired man gasped as Li reached upward and grabbed hold of Excelion's wires barehanded. He tensed,_

_"What the-!"_

_Li then pulled back on the wires; sending Jenos flying toward him. With a wave of his free hand, he sent Seiren forward._

_Jenos straightened, his eyes widening in horror as the ribbon tore through more than just his Ramani jacket. _

_**Li coughed shortly as nothing seemed to happen and subtly glanced around, his voice a low whisper,**_

_**"Hazard...whay aren't you bleeding yet?"**_

_**"I don't know," he said as he dropped to his knees, expressions of overexaggerated pain flushing over his face,**_

_**"I don't think you hit me hard enough...the bag must still be intact. Hold on."**_

_** He hit the ground with a hard thud, the liquidy, red substance pouring out around him,**_

_**"There it goes."**_

_**They stood there in an awkward silence for a few moments, Li continuing to glare at him.  
"Do you think he's actually watching you, Li?"**_

_**"Absolutely. He trusts me, yes, but he doesn't mind peeking in on the missions he gives me."**_

_**"Ahh, got ya."**_

_ Taking off his coat, Li sighed deeply; tossing it over top of Jenos' motionless body,_

_"I'm sorry."_

-ø-

"And shortly after that I called _you_. Pretty sneaky, huh?"

Rinslet shot him another glare; her blood boiling. Train shook his head,

"Then what about the explosion? What was that about?"

Jenos grinned, growing more excited as he cracked his fingers,

"Ahh, yeah. _That_ part."

-ø-

_**You see, being dead and all, I had a lot of time to do some research.**_

_He stood outside of the building; a black trenchcoat enveloping him in warmth. He glanced to his left at at the neighbouring building. It was barracaded; about to be demolished. _

_**I had an idea. So I paid the construction crew a hefty sum and took down the fences. Inside, I inserted cameras, but not just ANY cameras. Cameras that fed directly into the feeds of the cameras next door. I.E. where we were. Before we fought in the alley, Li made sure to hook Warren into the connection of the condemned building and told Warren he'd be chasing us there. Warren of course, trusted Li with his life, and ate up our little scheme like mom's fresh apple pie...**_

-ø-

"When I detonated it, it was the condemned building next door that exploded, not ours," he then frowned, rubbing his head sorely,

"We did take some uncalculated damage, though. Debris and the like, you know?"

Li groaned at that, rubbing his temples irritably,

"Yes...we _did_. Hazard didn't factor in that he'd packed the place with enough explosives to demolish an _entire _city block-"

"Hey, I was never really that good at math, all right," the mahogany-haired man shot back, his hair reflecting an emerald sheen in the overhead lamps,

"If you wanted it done right, you should've bought the damn things yourself!"

"Heartnet," Sephiria began, cutting the two off from what was bound to be a fit of intense bickering,

"I know you must be going through a hard time right now. The loss of your partner...it is one I can relate to-"

"_How_ exactly," Train snapped,

"Was _your_ partner held prisoner for four years against his will, being forced into using a power he only intended to help people with, only to kill millions instead?"

"No, but my partner _died _trying to save _yours_."

The chestnut-haired man quickly silenced. Sighing deeply, Sephiria rubbed her eyes tiredly and shook her head,

"I'm not trying to start a fight with you, Heartnet. The last thing I want is for us to be at odds. I actually came here hoping to ask a favour of you."

She pulled a metal box out of the folds of her coat and turned it to face him, pulling the lid open. Inside, lying on a plush, purple pillow, was an ornately decorated gun bearing the emblem of XIII.

Train straightened at the sight of it; his eyes widening,

"Hades...!"

"Yes," the woman began softly,

"I had Hazard gather up the pieces to it after it was destroyed in your battle with Jonas Warren. I sent it to Mason. He said it was not an easy fix..."

Raising her sapphire gaze to meet with his golden one, the woman sighed deeply,

"Heartnet. Chronos is in disarray. In order to return her to her original glory, we need a man of your talent to help aid us in the fight. I'm asking you...will you take up Hades and join us in our fight against Jonas Warren? As a _sweeper_, of course..."

She then pulled a paper out from her other pocket, and handed it to him, sighing deeply,

"His bounty is set at $1,000,000,000. And of course, we are prepared to help you with the cost of your partner's medical treatment should you desire it."

Train gazed at the paper, his eyes narrowing. He remained silent for a moment.

"Sorry. But I'll have to decline."

The chestnut-haired man said sharply, reaching for Hades. He took the gun in his hand, a familiar spark burning through his veins. His eyes reverted to deathly slits and he crumpled the paper in his hand,

"The next time I meet Jonas Warren...it _won't_ be as Train Heartnet."

Eve gasped as she heard his words from her spot at Sven's side, her heart beginning to shake in fear. Train. He hadn't sounded like this...not in a long time.

Cocking the gun, Train held it up in front of his face; his teeth grinding together in rage,

"I'll be going as the Black Cat."

He narrowed his eyes, the sound of the ventilator keeping Sven alive in the next room beeping in his ears,

"I'm gonna make that bastard pay...for what he's done."

* * *

**A/N: For some reason, I always looked at Belze and Sephiria as being partners, kinda like how Jenos, Nizer, and Beluga had Cerberus. Wow. I just looked up to see if I had the right name (Beluga) and discovered their is a Black Cat wiki. Hot damn. Everything's got a wiki now, doesn't it?**

**Also, shit just got real.**


	50. Special Chapter 04: Sarah  Part One

**A/N: I was originally intending this to be a one shot special chapter, but for sake of pacing, it's being split up. Don't know how many parts it will be now, but real time stuff will be added in, so it's not ENTIRELY breaking away from the main story.  
**

**And there's young Sven. Who wouldn't want to read up on that? ;D  
**

* * *

**Special Chapter 04: Sarah - Part One**

Merrick sighed as he laid back against the cold, metal slab; hs body beginning to tremble slightly with fear. He watched as Kanzaki tightened the restraints on his wrists and ankles. The Doctor smiled, a strange gleam in his beady eyes,

"You are much more cooperative a specimen than Mr. Vollfied was; always fighting to break free. I had to inject him with multiple sedatives just to get him to settle down. To note, threatening the bioweapon's existence _also_ helped..."

He laughed softly. The muddy-haired boy swallowed hard as he felt a needle poke his arm and the familiar burning sensation from the previous day flushed through him.

Kanzaki noticed how uncomfortable the boy had become and smiled, sighing as he continuously changed vials,

"We're going to be recalibrating the system today. Right now, it's still set to Vollfied's specifications. In order to have the same results with you, the system has to be reconfigured to you. Is your heart racing, yet?"

It was. Merrick clenched his fists and violently pulled at the restraints; biting his lip. It felt as though his heart was going to explode.

"That's the adrenaline. I need to see how fast your heart can go before you break..."

"You mean," the boy gagged, his eyes wide as he continued to shoot the liquid into his veins,

"You're going to kill me!"  
"Only _briefly_. You'll be brought back within seconds. You probably won't even realise you've died."

Merrick cursed at this, his teeth grinding together as the pain worsened.

"Vollfied was dead only 3 seconds before popping right back. So relax. It won't take but a minute."

His heart continued to beat faster and faster. He swallowed hard. His mind was racing. He felt nervous. He wanted to run. But he couldn't. He was going to die. He was definitely going to die. Granted, he would be resuscitated shortly there after, but still.

He squeezed his eyes shut; his body shaking. He didn't want this. He didn't want this!

Upon reaching the last vile of adrenaline, Kanzaki smirked. He had made it through all seven viles and the boy had not dropped yet. Vollfied had only made it through 4. The pain this boy must have been in...

"What a fascinating specimen you are..."

As the drug finished rushing into Merrick's veins, the boy let out a cry. He could have sworn he felt a strange thunk somewhere within him and his eyes shot open, startled.

He gazed blankly at the ceiling, the odd sensation of feeling fleeing him. He was dying. His breathing slowed down. His heart came to a halt. He relaxed; his lifeless eyes locked onto the overhead lamp.

Kanzaki clicked his stop watch; raising an eyebrow curiously,

"15 minutes. _Impressive_."

~ø~

Eve sniffled as she took Sven's hand in hers and wiped his face with a warm cloth. He made no reaction. Her gaze fell sadly. Squeezing his hand, she laid her head down on the cot; tears silently gliding down her nose.

~ø~

_BANG. BANG._

Train glared at the tree trunk a few feet ahead of him. There were only two bullet holes, but four casings littered the grass. He cursed. He was becoming sloppy again.

Reloading Hades, he spun the barrel and aimed a second time.

_BANG. BANG._

~ø~

Rinslet sighed as she silently watched him from the window. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she turned and looked up at Jenos. He offered her a smile, to which she frowned and pried his hand away from her. She then turned and stormed toward the back room to check on Eve and Sven.

Jenos sighed at her reaction and rubbed the lump on his head from where she had whacked him shamefully. He wondered idly if he should have gone with Li and Sephiria to gather their forces, after all.

~ø~

Jessica sat at the corner booth, her eyes locked on the teddy bear in her hands. When things had finally died down, Train had told everyone what had happened back at the lab...how Merrick had sacrificed himself so that Sven could be free...and of how he'd had a vision eye all along. She swallowed hard. That was how he had known about hers. He could recognise the signs of using it. Not only that, but her mother had spoken up about how she remembered him from when he was a child; how he used to live next door to them before his father had snapped and killed his mother. And his father had turned out to be Jonas Warren.

Now, that father was holding him as a prisoner; a prisoner in the same hell Sven had been subjected to. She bit her lip.

Was there nothing she could do to help these people?

~ø~

Somewhere in an office, thousands of miles from Les Ses Leura, a man in a black suit sat at his desk, gazing idly at a picture in a book. The book he was looking through was a year book of sorts; one from the academy he and his friends had graduated from years and years ago. He spotted a familiar face and stopped on it, narrowing his eyes. It was a young man in his early twenties standing by a flag pole with a few other men, and even though the picture was in black and white, he took from his memory that this man had unusually lime green hair. The young man next to him was a rather timid looking one, with shaggy, brown hair and spectacles. Standing behind the pair, with both arms around their necks, was a boy with black hair that fell just to his ears. He recognised this one to be himself.

Running a hand through his greying, black hair, the man leaned back in his chair and let out a sorrowful sigh,

"My two best friends in the academy...and I couldn't help either of you."

He swallowed hard and closed the book.

On the door to this office hung a golden name plate bearing the title,

_'CHIEF OF INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATIONS - WILLIAM SMITH.'_

~ø~

Jonas Warren watched silently from the observation room as Doctor Kanzaki easily resuscitated the muddy-haired boy; his gaze cold and unfeeling. Sitting on the table nearby was the picture of a woman with lengthy warm-brown hair wearing a yellow headband and a lilac shirt. Her arms were wrapped around a small boy with hair of the same shade, his cherubic cheeks dimpling as he smiled. He looked down at the photo, his eyes narrowing at it. Before this boy had resurfaced, he couldn't remember the bad times that had befallen him. But now, with him lying there; right there in the next room...

That scar was the very reminder of how his life had easily been ripped away from him through fault of that unfaithful harlot smiling so innocently behind the glass.

Her fault...and Sven Vollfied's.

~ø~_**FOURTEEN YEARS AGO**_~ø~

"Ooooooooh! Come on! Don't do this!"

A woman with long, brown hair growled as she turned the key in the ignition; a pathetic whimper escaping her as the rain bore down hard on her windshield. Of course her car had wanted to stall in this kind of weather. She let out an exaggerated cry and slammed her head onto the steering wheel, a sob escaping her. She had just wanted to get home. It had been a long, hard day at the hospital and she really needed to be with her son.

"Excuse me? Miss? Is something wrong?"

The woman jumped at the sudden sound of a voice at her open window and screamed; reaching for her purse. She pulled out a can of pepper spray and spun to her left, blindly shooting in the face whoever was standing there.

They let out a cry of pain and collapsed to the ground, the woman fearfully peeking out of her window. She spotted a young man with lime-green hair wearing a tan trenchcoat sprawled out on the asphalt, and as he writhed about in agony, he dropped from his belt what appeared to be a policeman's badge.

She gasped, quickly opening the door as she rushed to help the man up,

"Oh my God! I'm so sorry!"

Taking his arm, she helped him to his feet, grabbed his badge and let him lean against her car as she pulled a wipe from her pocket. She hurriedly began to wipe his eyes with it, biting her lip,

"Here, this will help. It's meant to neutralise the mace."

"I _got _it, I _got_ it."

He retorted bitterly, swearing loudly as he wiped the cloth on his eyes. The woman took a deep breath as he moaned, shrugging slightly,

"Well, it's good that I'm protecting myself, right?"

He turned and glared at her silently for a moment, then went back to caring for his eyes.

~ø~

"Should you _really_ be driving, right now?"

The lime-haired man growled softly at her question as he finished wiping his eyes and placed both hands back on the steering wheel,

"It's fine. Besides, no one drives this car but me."

"Oh," she began with a laugh, scrunching her shoulders up a little as she spoke,

"Macho type, huh?"

He again glared at her, and she sucked in her lips, making them pop as she went to speak,

"Yep."

She looked around quietly, noting the parking pass hanging from his rearview mirror,

"So, you work for the IBI? So, does my husband! 'Sven Vollfied'. What a quaint name..."

Sven frowned at that, raising an eyebrow as she turned to him with a smile,

"Your family must be from where...? Somewhere across the Adonia Sea, right? Like in Europa?"

"There's also a strict '_no talking_' policy in my car."

He said bluntly; hunching low over the wheel as he tried to peer through the heavy rain.

The woman nodded thoughtfully, turning to look out of the window,

"Oh, _right_..."

An awkward silence filled the cabin as he reached a stop light.

"You're really bad at enforcing that rule, aren't you?"

~ø~

"Here you are."

The brown-haired woman smiled as the car came to a stop in front of her house, and she unbuckled her seatbelt. Stepping out, she raised an eyebrow as he climbed out as well,

"What are you doing?"

Sven stared at her blankly, an annoyed look on his face,

"Seeing you safely to your door. What does it look like, ma'am?"

She perked up at that, giggling a little as she started for the neighbouring home,

"Aww, how cute. You're just a perfect little gentlemen, aren't you?"

She patted his cheek as she strolled by him and he let out a growl; plucking a cigarette from his pocket. She noticed this and frowned,

"Don't you know those are bad for you?"

"Does it look like I care?"

He shot back coldly, promptly lighting it and taking a smoke. She held up her hands with a smile and took a step back from him,

"Whatever you say, _big shot_. You'll have to come by the hospital sometime, so I can show you what your lungs will look like in ten years."

"Yeah, I don't think so."

She rang the door bell, shrugging with a sigh,

"I figured you'd say that."

The door opened a few minutes later, revealing a man with shaggy, brown hair and spectacles. He wore a white shirt and grey sweat pants, both of which seemed to be covered in what appeared to be vomit. He spotted the woman and smiled, adjusting his glasses,

"Oh, hey, Sarah! I'm glad you made it here okay! Susan and I were starting to worry with the weather being so bad and all. Come on in. He's asleep on the couch."

He then spotted the lime-haired man behind her and raised an eyebrow, surprised,

"Sven? What are you doing here? Something happen?"

"Not really," Sven groaned; putting out the cigarette before stepping inside,

"I was just dropping_ her _off."

"Oh?"

"Her car broke down in front of my apartment building."

Lloyd smiled at that and laughed, closing the door behind him,  
"Ahh, and that set off your 'code' thing, right?"

Sven grumbled at that. He then turned his eyes back to the brown-haired woman and straightened. She was kneeling at the couch in the living room, where a small boy lay asleep. Lightly, she touched the boy's shoulder and he stirred; rubbing his eyes tiredly. With a smile, he silently wrapped his arms around her and she scooped him up; standing with a sigh,

"I'm sorry I'm so late, sweetie."

She then turned and started for the door, picking up his shoes on the way out,

"Thanks for watching him," she said quietly to the bespectacled man,

"I appreciate it. Tell Susan I said 'goodnight'."

He nodded as he quickly opened the door for her. She turned as she stepped onto the porch and smiled, nodding to the mess on his shirt,

"And good luck with Jessica."

He nodded at that, mouthing to her a 'thank you'. She then turned and hurried across the lawn to the house on their left; a brick house with a white roof and matching trim. Sven raised an eyebrow curiously as Lloyd shut the door and nodded in the direction of the brick house,

"She's your neighbour then?"  
"No, she and her family are squatters. That house just happens to be vacant, right now."

The lime-haired man stared at him blankly. Lloyd sighed, smacking him on the arm as he shook his head,

"It was a_ joke, _Sven. _Yes_, she's our neighbour."

He turned and headed for the kitchen, calling back to the man as he disappeared,

"You want a beer?"  
"No," Sven began, shoving his hands in his pockets,

"I gotta drive home, yet."

"Oh, right."

He came back into the living room with a soda can in hand, carefully taking a sip as he let out a sigh,

"Jessie's been sick all night. I don't even know how a kid can hold that much barf. It's like a a scene right out of 'The Exorcist'. You know? The pea soup thing?"

He made a motion with his hands; to which Sven quickly stopped him,

"I-I got it."

"So," the brown-haired man grinned, taking another sip,

"She broke down in front of your apartment, huh?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"You sure it was _just _your 'gentleman's code' that made you go out and save her? Or was it because she's a pretty lady?"

Sven went silent at that, groaning as he remembered the sudden burning in his eyes after she had sprayed him thoroughly with pepper spray,

"It was the _code_."

"Good, because she's _married_," the brown-haired man began, sitting down on the nearby sofa,

"And I don't think her husband would appreciate it if you started following her around like a puppy dog."

"Oh, _believe me_, that is _far_ from happening."

"All right, whatever you say."

At that they both heard a scream from upstairs and the man sighed as the distressed voice of a woman called his name,

"Lloyd!"

"Well, looks like _Linda Blair's_ at it again," he groaned, setting the can down and hurrying upstairs,

"You planning on sticking around a while, Sven?"

The lime-haired man shook his head, and turned for the front door,

"Nah, I'll just let myself out."

"Yeah, that's probably for the best. Sorry."

"It's fine. See you tomorrow."

He shut the door quietly behind him and started down the walkway, glancing back at the neighbouring brick house in silence. Shaking his head shortly, he then turned for his car, got in and drove away.

~ø~

Sarah quietly laid the little boy down in his race car bed and gently tucked him in. Turning to leave, she heard the little boy whimper and turned back. He was staring up at her with two, big blue eyes,

"Mommy, will you stay with me? I don't like the dark..."

The woman smiled at him and nodded, scooting him over as she laid down beside him,

"Of course I will, sweetie."

He helped her pull the covers up, then pushed himself as close to her as he possibly could. She wrapped her arms around him; running a hand through his soft, brown hair,

"Mommy loves you..."

He smiled as he peacefully drifted off to sleep and she kissed softly him on the top of his head,

"...Merrick."

~ø~

Sven sighed as he reached his apartment and unlocked the door, stepping inside. He silently glanced around. Like always, it was empty. Shaking his head, he threw his coat on the counter top that separated the kitchen from the living room. He then trudged over to the severely worn down, tan leather sofa in the centre of the room and pulled out a cigarette. With the flick of his wrist, he had lit it with a match, then turned his attention to the pistol laying out on the coffee table before him.

Carefully dismantling it, he silently began cleaning the gun with the solvent and cloth that sat on the table right next to it. This was the fifth time he had done this today. He wasn't used to his day off being so..._long_. Sighing, he stopped cleaning and set the pieces back down on the table; leaning back against the couch. He pulled the cigarette from his lips and held it between his fingers; puffing a smoke ring from his lips. Again, he sighed, scratching his overly moussed hair with his free hand.

~ø~

A few hours later, a car drove into the driveway of the brick house with the white roof and out stepped a man with scruffy, black hair that barely brushed the tips of his ears. He wore square spectacles and a nice, grey suit, the jacket of said suit tucked under his arm. He had just gotten off work after spending the last few hours filing the rest of the Bernado case for the chief and he was quite tired.

Glancing around, he frowned. His wife's car wasn't in the drive like usual. Was she staying late at the hospital?

Hurrying inside, he turned on the lights in the living room and walked over to their bedroom. No, she wasn't there, either. He quietly made his way down the hall to their son's room. Had she called a sitter for him? Or was he still next door with the Goldwynnes? Peeking inside, he straightened to find her, still in her nurse's uniform, lying asleep with the six-year- old in his tiny, race car bed. She looked so uncomfortable.

He smiled at this and stepped inside, lightly touching her shoulder. She turned and glanced up at him, a groggy smile on her face,

"Oh, Jeremiah...you're home..."

The little boy stirred as well, peeking up at his father from under his mother's arm. He clung to her tighter, his little voice slurring with his sleepiness,

"Will you stay, too? Daddy?"

Jeremiah sighed at this, smiling as well as he rounded the bed and climbed in on the other side of the boy,

"I suppose I could..."

Merrick smiled at that, falling back asleep as he felt his father's arms reaching over him as well. He stayed nestled close to his mother, however. Sarah gazed at her husband with a smile and he gazed back at her, leaning carefully over the sleeping boy to give his wife a kiss on the forehead.

At this, her smile widened and she settled back down, quickly falling asleep as she felt his hand run through her hair. Smiling himself, Jeremiah closed his eyes.

What a perfect family he had...

* * *

**A/N: I made up a line art last night to mimic a "chapter cover" for this. For those who care to see it, I'll have a link posted in my profile. Sadly, I can't colour anything in right now, as my computer is on the verge of crashing and keeps shutting off randomly. .**


	51. Special Chapter 04: Sarah Part Two

**A/N: Well, it's been EXACTLY four years since I started as of today. How time flies...my oh my. So much for my goal of having it done by today. .**

**Suckaaaaaaaaaaaaage~**

* * *

**Special Chapter 04: Sarah - Part Two**

"It will take at least three days for Warren to recalibrate the Vision Eye Network," Jenos began softly. Train was back in the room at this time, as was Rinslet. Jessica sat next to her mother, who had her arm wrapped around her daughter's shoulders as they listened. Annette was standing outside, smoking a cigarette and keeping guard. The mahogany-haired man sighed as he took out a manila folder from the folds of his jacket and set it down on the counter,

"While I was," he coughed as he glanced over at Rinslet and shook his head,

"_dead..._ I did a little research on old 'Jerry'. He apparently used to work for the IBI...which could_ easily _explain how he knew about the vision eye in the first place."

He opened the folder and Susan nodded as she caught sight of his picture, squeezing her daughter a little tighter,

"It _is_ him... oh, God."

With that, she stood and headed over to the door, hand hovering at her mouth as she stepped outside. Jessica straightened as he mother disappeared, but did not follow after her. Looking back to Jenos, she sighed deeply,

"It's really hard on her...my mom hasn't really gotten over what happened."

"What about you," Rinslet frowned, speaking gently to the girl,

"Are you okay hearing all of this?"

The petite brunette nodded shortly, looking up to all of them,

"Y-Yeah...I mean...I was only two when it happened. I don't really remember it," she wrung her hands nervously in her lap and swallowed hard,

"And I...I want to hear it. I want to know. I mean, Mom told me, but she could never get through all of it. She told me dad died...but she never said why."

"I...," they all turned toward the kitchen at the sound of a meek, shaky voice,

"I want to hear it, too."

In the doorway stood Eve, her eyes still red from crying. She took a deep breath, glancing briefly over at Train,

"I want to hear...what happened to Merrick's family...and what happened to Sven's partner."

Rinslet rushed over to the girl and gave her a warm hug. Putting an arm around her, she lead her over to their group, Train looking to her with a slight glimmer of hope in his sad eyes,

"How is he, Princess? Any change?"

The ruby-eyed girl bowed her head at that, her voice a soft whisper,

"No. There's no change."

His heart sank at that and he nodded silently, his gaze falling to the floor. Rinslet cleared her throat at that and lead Eve over to the seat beside Jessica. She then stepped back from them and turned for the kitchen,

"I'll go keep him company for a while."

Jenos turned to watch as she quietly left the room, sighing deeply,

"Well...as I was saying. I did some research on Jeremiah. Looks like his son's college fund went to some particularly _interesting_ investors."

He pulled out a sheet from the open folder and handed it to Train,

"This guy look familiar to you?"

The golden-eyed man straightened at the photo,

"That's...!"

Eve snatched the photo from his hands as Jenos nodded,

"Former member of the Apostles of the Star...Doctor Kosuke Kanzaki."

The girl swallowed hard as she stared at the photo, her hand shaking a little. Jessica noted the sudden change in her disposition and straightened, blinking curiously. She knew this man?

Train narrowed his eyes,

"I thought we were done with him. After the fight with Creed, he went to jail, didn't he?"

"Apparently not. Sometime in the months following Creed's downfall, a large sum of money found itself in a bank account that we believe is his. It's under a _different _name, though..."

Another paper Train picked up showed numerous deposits and transactions to an offshore account, filed under the name,

"'Jonas Warren'."

"We figure that he opened the account to pay Kanzaki for his nanomachine research and treatments. There was also a report of the former Apostle, Eathes, disappearing shortly after the deposits began."

"Eathes disappeared?"

Leon, just now entering the room, straightened upon hearing this, his eyes wide,

"Is that why...?"

Eve frowned as she glanced up at him,

"Why what, Leon?"

The boy frowned and lowered his gaze,

_'"I-I'm gonna be leaving town for a while...and I don't want you to get lonely, so..."'_

-ø-

_He handed the boy a train ticket. Leon raised an eyebrow at the gesture, shaking his head,_

_"What's this for?"_

_"I've got a buddy who lives a few towns from here. I already told him all about you and he said he wouldn't mind you staying with him for a while."_

_"Why would I go stay with some stranger in another town, Eathes?"_

_ Stuttering, the muscle-clad man swallowed hard, scratching his head,_

_"Wh-Why? Well, I looked up some things and the law says you can't live by yourself."_

_"Why not? I did before..."_

_"Well, now it says you can't okay!"_

_Leon stared at the man in confusion. He was nervous about something. Taking a banana from his knapsack, the man quickly chomped down on it and continued,_

_"J-Just do it? Please? He's a really nice guy. Used to be a volunteer at the zoo I was at...back when I was still a monkey."_

_ The blue-haired boy stared at him a moment, then sighed deeply,_

_"What's his name? I don't want to go running all over town looking for him when I get there."_

_Eathes perked up happily at this,_

_"His name's Spencer..." _

-ø-

"..._Spencer Cleveland."_

The boy shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets,

"Nothing. Nevermind."

Rifling through the folder, Train came across another sheet of paper that showed documentation of more money entering an account addressed to someone named 'George Reynolds'. He raised an eyebrow,

"And who is this guy? What's he got to do with Warren?"

"It's not so much what he has to do with Warren that's interesting _here_..."

Taking another picture from the folder, Jenos held it up for the group to see,

"George Reynolds...was the presiding judge over two cases involving the same crime family. One in 1994 for drug and mafia related murders...and one other in 1996 for the murder of IBI agent, Lloyd Goldwynne."

Jessica tensed at this, her hands wrung anxiously in her lap. Jenos sighed deeply at this, as he noted apprehensive look on her face and cleared his throat,

"Are you sure you're okay hearing all of this? You look upset."

The girl took a deep breath and nodded shortly,

"Y-Yes. I'm fine. I just want to know what happened."

~ø~

Meanwhile in the other room, Rinslet sat at Sven's bedside, a sad frown on her face,

"I still can't believe what happened to you...can you even hear us, right now?"

The jade-haired man made no response. She sighed, dabbing his face lightly with a warm cloth,

"I wonder...what are you dreaming about right now? If you're even dreaming at all..."

_His eyelids twitched._

She straightened, her heart leaping as she watched his face intently for a few minutes after that.

There was nothing further.

She sighed, leaning forward a little. Had she imagined it? Or was he still with them, after all?

"Sven," she whispered softly, brushing his bangs from his face,

"Are you dreaming?"

He made no second movement, but she couldn't shake the feeling that there was still something going on inside his mind; contrary to what the doctor had told them.

But...what was it?

-ø-

_** "What have we got?"**_

~ø~_**FOURTEEN YEARS AGO**_~ø~

Sven raised an eyebrow as they reached the crime scene, both he and Lloyd ducking under the yellow tape as they came up on the bloody mess of what used to be a person. Lloyd cleared his throat, and adjusted his glasses,

"Well, it _was_ a man in his early thirties, named 'Bryant Colon'...until sometime last night between 9 and 10."

The body was badly mangled, with multiple bullet holes and one arm completely missing. The fleshy looking particles scattered about the area indicated to the pair that those must've been bits of the missing arm.

Sven let out a whistle as he surveyed the mess, hands in his pockets,

"Pretty gruesome job..."

"You think it was the same guy as the last one?"

He nodded shortly, kneeling down next to the body,

"I'm sure of it. The damage to the body is a dead giveaway."

He looked up at the walls of the alleyway and nodded, again standing as he walked over to one,

"And the burn marks here," he then pointed to the adjacent wall,

"And over there, too. It's our assassin, all right."

"The drug cartel's, you mean?"

The lime-haired man nodded shortly as he turned back to his partner,

"Yeah."

_CHINK._

-ø-

_** BLAM.**_

**Lloyd straightened as a bullet suddenly found itself embedded in Sven's chest and the man fell backward; brown eyes wide in shock.**

-ø-

Quickly, Lloyd shook his head of the image and cursed, shoving Sven back against the wall,

"SHOOTER!"

_BLAM._

A bullet embedded itself in the ground at Sven's feet and the lime-haired man straightened, turning his eyes to the roof top. A shadowy figure quickly scurried out of sight, retreating.

"He's still here," Sven began, quickly pulling his gun from it's holster as he ran for the fire escape,

"Nice call, partner!"

Nodding nervously, Lloyd followed after him to the roof. There was another shot and they both darted out of the way; Sven crouching behind the large air conditioner while Lloyd sunk down by a small, low-rising alcove set into the building's landscape. He peered up over the wall cautiously, jumping as another bullet took a chunk out of the concrete.

"Keep your head down, you dumb ass!"

Sven whispered harshly. He peered around the air conditioner, then, and another bullet ricocheted off of the metal frame.

"Keep _your_ head down, you _dumb ass_!"

Lloyd smartly shot back. The lime-haired man shook his head at that and cocked his pistol as he counted to three. Turning sharply, he took a few shots at the shadowy shooter. The assailant fired two more right back, and Sven cursed, one of the bullets digging itself into his arm.

Lloyd gasped at the sight of his partner bleeding and hopped up from his position, firing a round at the shooter. The shooter fired one back, one that the brown-haired man was somehow easily able to dodge, and then quickly retreated; taking a leap off of the roof. Hurrying to the ledge, Lloyd spotted their attacker fleeing across a lower rooftop and aimed for him, firing a few more times. Each one missed and the retreating sniper disappeared.

Hurrying back over to Sven, he knelt down and took a look at the man's wounded arm, a bead of sweat gliding down his cheek,

"Sven! You okay!"

"Yeah...it's nothing," Sven winced as he pushed himself up from the floor; clutching his arm gingerly,

"It's not serious."

He walked over to the ledge, frowning deeply,

"What happened to our guy?"

Lloyd shook his head, his gaze dropping to the lower roof top,

"He got away. Sorry."

Sven snarled at that, his teeth grinding together in mild anger.

_"Damn!"_

~ø~

"It will take some care, but you should be healed right up in 3 to 4 weeks."

Carefully pulling his coat back on, Sven nodded to the brown-haired doctor and turned; heading out of the room,

"Thanks, doc."

Lloyd stood a ways down the hall and upon spotting Sven, smiled and hurried over to him,

"Hey, what did the doctor say?"

"3-4 weeks. I told you, Lloyd, it wasn't that bad."

The bespectacled man sighed as they started down the hall way toward the exit,

"So, then, where do we go from here?"

"Well, we start by trying to figure out who our assassin is and how long he's been in town. We should round up any witnesses and check the security cam-"

At this moment, a nurse with long, warm-brown hair suddenly came backing out of the room a few feet from him, a stack of papers in her hands,

"I'm sorry, Nancy, I can't! It's my son's birthday today! Maybe another time-"

He had no time to avoid her. Slamming right into her, the papers went flying and the woman fell to the floor.

The lime-haired man quickly knelt down, suddenly flustered, and hastily began gathering up her papers,

"I'm so sorry, miss! I didn't see you! Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she groaned, beginning to pick up the documents as well. She tucked her hair behind her ear and glanced up at him, a smiling striking her face,

"Oh, hey, it's you! The little gentleman from last night!"

He stopped at that and slowly looked up to see her face; a cold feeling shooting through him.

It was in fact, and much to his horror, the woman who had maced him the previous night.

Lloyd knelt down as well and began helping with the papers, smiling to the woman warmly,

"Sorry about him, Sarah! Sven doesn't tend to look where he's going when he walks."

Sarah giggled at this; covering her mouth with a delicate hand,

"He sounds a lot like my son. Speaking of which," she began, slamming her fist down onto her palm,

"We're having his birthday party tonight! You and yours are welcome to stop by!"

Lloyd nodded shortly at that, smiling,

"Really? Okay, sure. Jessie's doing a lot better today. I bet she'd love a play date with Merrick."

The woman then turned to Sven, poking him in the arm,

"You should come by, too, Mr. Gentleman. You're more than welcome!"

He winced as he finger pressed down on his wound and coughed, rubbing at his arm sorely as he handed her back her paperwork,

"I...think I'll pass."

"Oh, c'mon, Sven. What else do you have to do?"

He glared over at his partner, his eyebrow twitching,

"Th-there's plenty of things I could be_ doing_-"

"Unless you've got a hot date, which I _seriously_ doubt knowing you, I can't think of any plans you'd have for tonight."

"How about _working_? You ever consider I might be doing that," the lime-haired man grumbled in aggitation,  
"We _do_ have an assassin on the loose, you know. Or did you already forget about what happened earlier?"

"I didn't forget," Lloyd shot back, seeming almost hurt by his partner's words,

"But seriously, Sven! It's just a birthday party..."

"Yeah, it'll be an hour, tops," Sarah interjected, unknowingly slapping Sven on his wounded arm a second time,

"Then, you can get back to work! There's gonna be _cake_~"

She said musically, as if trying to entice him with the idea. He blinked dully at her,

"That's a common occurrence at birthday parties."

Letting out a groan, the woman took her papers back from both of them and adjusted them in her arms,

"Well, whatever. At either rate, you're welcome to stop by."

She waved to the brown-haired man and stepped on passed them,

"See you tonight, Lloyd."

"Yeah, see you."

Sven watched her silently as she walked on down the hall and frowned thoughtfully.

"Hey, don't be thinking those thoughts, now! She's married, _remember_?"

He glanced over at Lloyd, and shook his head turning sharply away,

"I'm not thinking any thoughts. Would you knock it off?"

"Relax, Sven. It was just a joke..."

"Whatever. Let's just get back to work, okay?"

~ø~

"Warren! Come in here a minute!"  
Jeremiah straightened as he stood from his desk and hurried into the chief's office. He swallowed hard. It was never good news when the chief asked to see him. Spotting the red-haired man at his window, Jeremiah cleared his throat,

"Yes? You wanted to see me, sir?"

"You started work on the drug cartel case, yet?"

"U-Um, yes sir," he fidgeted nervously at the enraged tone in the man's voice,

"The papers are on my desk, right now."

"Good, make sure I have the search warrant by tonight."

"Wh-What? But sir-"

"Did I stutter, Warren," the chief barked, popping a lit cigarette in his mouth,

"I need that warrant by tonight. Or did you not hear that one of our men took a bullet today?"

"T-Took a bullet," Jeremiah straightened, a bead of sweat running down his face,

"W-Who was it?"

"Inspector Vollfied. The assassin was waiting for him and Goldwynne to show up at the crime scene."

"Th-that's terrible! Is he dead?"

"No," the chief said, putting out his cigarette in the ashtray on his desk,

"He's damn lucky he had Goldwynne with him to keep that from happening."

"Why would that be lucky? Aren't they partners," Jeremiah frowned in confusion,

"Wouldn't they be at the crime scene together anyhow?"

"Nah, that's not what I mean. Goldwynne's got a sixth sense about things."

"A sixth sense, sir?"

"Yeah," the red-haired man said, sitting back down in his chair,

"It's like he can see the future."

"See the future," the raven-haired man repeated, lowering his gaze thoughtfully.

The chief sighed, rummaging through the papers on his desk then,

"If Vollfied had gone by himself, he'd be a dead man. That's why I want a search warrant on the warehouse. We need to get that assassin off the streets before he has a chance to go after any more of our men. Or even worse, a _civilian_. You'll have it to me by tonight, then, yes?"

Letting out a deep sigh, Jeremiah nodded reluctantly,

"Yes, sir..."

"Good, now get to it."

The raven-haired man nodded and left the room quietly. He sighed, his heart beginning to sink.

It looked like he'd be missing his son's birthday again this year.


	52. Special Chapter 04: Sarah Part Three

**A/N: Decided to split the chapter back up into two. It was too long after all. Sorry guys. .**

* * *

**Special Chapter 04: Sarah - Part 3**

Jonas Warren sighed as he stared down at the unconscious boy lying before him. He had yet to wake up from the session earlier; something that was very understandable given the circumstances. All of that adrenaline in the system was bound to leave a person worn out afterward; especially when the only way to expend the pent up energy was in death. The dark circles that had developed under the boy's eyes when he had died remained, even though he had been resuscitated hours ago. He was already becoming tired; dehydrated. Warren snorted in disgust,

"What a weak child..."

~ø~

The ventilator hummed softly as Train entered the room, and his eyes fell upon Sven's skeletal figure. He closed his eyes lightly.

_'__"Where are we going, anyway?"'_

_ -_ø-

_ "The city of Cannes," the lime-haired man began, cigarette hanging loosely between his lips,_

_"Word has it there's a bounty there of over 7 million."_

_"Really! That much, huh! So, who's the guy?"_

_"A serial rapist, Gerald Chevé. It's been said most of his victims are women and children."_

_ "Then this case is perfect for you, isn't it, Svenny-baby?"_

_The lime-haired man's eyebrow twitched at the nickname; his teeth grinding,_

_"Yes. As a gentleman, I can't just let his actions go unpunished."_

_ -_ø-

_Coming upon the alleyway, he gasped at the sight of a bloodied, white fedora and picked it up, cursing,_

_"Sven! Sven, where are you! Sven!"_

_ -_ø-

_"__**Warren is after her. If he gets to her, I don't know what he'll do. You have to find her before he does, Train. If you don't..."**_

_ -_ø-

_"You...You're Jonas Warren, aren't you?"_

_The man said nothing; his lips curving upward into a sly smile._

_Leon jumped, stepping back as the chestnut-haired man suddenly whipped Hades out of his jacket,_

_"What have you done with Sven!"_

_-_ø-

_Transforming his arm into a blade, Jonas took a swipe at the ex-assassin. As if acting on instinct, Train leapt backward and brought Hades up to block the attack. His heart stopped as Warren's blade cut through his gun like a knife through butter. The pistol burst in his hands. His eyes widened as he turned his gaze to Jonas. The man smirked. A long slash appeared across the chestnut-haired man's chest. Blood spiralled upward as Train sailed through the air, flying over the side of the building._

_-_ø-

_"Train! He's not answering!"_

_Taking a deep breath, Train pulled the phone from her hands and swallowed hard. He could hear the machines going berserk in the background and he tensed; yelling into it as loud as possible,_

_"SVEN!"_

_A cackle echoed back. He snarled,_

_"Warren."_

_**"Why, hello, Mr. Heartnet! It's good to hear from you, again."**_

_He clenched his fist tightly; gritting his teeth together,_

_"What happened to Sven?"_

_**"He's...indisposed at the moment."**_

_"What's that supposed to mean!"_

_**"Well, Mr. Heartnet, I'll leave you to figure that out on your own."**_

_-_ø-

_**"Brain Activity - 13 percent. Heart Rate - 20bpm. Vital Organ Functionality - 35 percent..."**_

_The strange automated voice drew him to the spot where Eve was staring and he felt his stomach drop; his golden eyes growing wide as they met with the skeletal figure,_

_"Oh my God..."_

_A man with long, jade hair was strapped against the wall. His frail body was hooked up to numerous machines by wires, and he gazed down at them blankly; his eyes completely void of life. _

_-_ø-

He opened his eyes and gazed back down at his partner, a hard lump developing in the back of his throat,

"How...? How did we get here?"

The jade-haired man was still; his only movement being that of the steady rising and falling of his chest as the machine helped him to breath. Train bowed his head, and laughed as his eyes began to blur,

"Look at me...crying like an idiot."

Wiping his eyes, he continued to laugh at himself and he shook his head,

"Who would have thought...that somebody...somebody hurting you would be all it took, eh? To make me want to turn back into that guy...?"

He snorted, sitting down in the chair beside the cot,

"Creed knew. He knew exactly what it was that would make me snap. I mean...I stopped him before he could do it, but..."

He trailed off, his eyes darting back over to Sven.

_'"I-I'm sorry, both of you. But there's nothing I can do for him. The damage done...it would take a miracle to reverse it."'_

The doctor's words had chilled right through him. After all, of this time...after all of that work, and pain, and sorrow...they were left with what? They had brought Sven home, yes...but only as a shell? His mind was...gone?

He wiped his eyes quickly as he felt a tear hit his cheek and he shook his head,

"I'm sorry, Sven. I should have been there...I should have..."

He silenced then, and stood from the seat, lightly squeezing his partner's wrist,

"But I'll make it up to you...I'll make that bastard pay. Even if it puts an end to Train Heartnet the sweeper."

He felt his world beginning to shift, and his eyes narrowed as he turned and left the room,

"The Black Cat will make him pay...for what he did to you and Princess."

He left the room; the jade-haired man's skeletal hand briefly twitching as his foot steps grew further and further away...

~ø~_**FOURTEEN YEARS AGO**_~ø~

Sven groaned as he pulled up in front of the brick house, a deep sigh escaping him.

Why was he here? He didn't know this woman, nor did he know her family. Lloyd was their neighbour, so that's why _they_ were going. _They _were friends. _He_ wasn't friends with these people. He'd only met her last night, and he wasn't even sure if he liked her all that much. She _had _maced him in the face upon meeting him. He groaned.

He would only stay a minute. Right. Besides, it gave him an opportunity to return her car to her. He'd fixed it the previous night when he couldn't sleep and driven it here instead of taking his own car. Her radio was set to only the most_ bubbly _pop stations in the area. He'd been half tempted to reprogram it to all jazz and oldies, but thought it better not to. She may not be knowledged enough to fix it.

Stepping out of the car, he sighed and grabbed the wrapped box sitting on the passenger seat. This was her son's birthday party after all, it was only polite to bring the birthday boy a present. It wasn't much, just a trinket from the convenient store down the street from his apartment complex, but it was better than nothing. Arriving at the front door, he coughed nervously and looked around. A little note taped above the door bell read:

**Bell Broken. Knock Please. Thank you!**

Little hearts circled the message. He stared at it a moment, confident of just who in the house wrote the note. Sighing deeply, he knocked at the door, scratching his head anxiously.

What was he doing here?

A few minutes later, the door opened and a small boy with warm brown hair appeared in the doorway. He blinked up at the lime-haired man with large, bluish-grey eyes. Sven stared back, swallowing hard as the kid remained silent.

He glanced around, trying to peer into the next room to see if his mother was around. The boy continued to stare at him. Coughing again, he motioned the box toward the boy,

"I heard...it was your birthday today?"

The boy blinked at him again, saying nothing. Sven's eyebrow twitched nervously,

"Is...your mom here?"

He remained silent. Swallowing hard, Sven took a deep breath,

"Uh-"

"Oh, you made it," he looked up upon hearing a familiar voice and sighed with relief. Lloyd appeared at the door behind the boy, patting the child on the head,

"You can let him in, Merrick. It's all right."

The brown-haired man knelt down as the boy tugged at his pant leg, his voice soft,

"Mommy told me not to invite strangers in the house."

"Trust me," the bespectacled man smiled; ruffing the child's hair,

"He may be _strange_, but Sven's not a stranger. He and your mom are actually good friends."

Sven's eyebrow twitched at that and he glared at Lloyd silently,

_'Don't stretch it, Lloyd.'_

Nodding, the boy turned back to Sven and offered him a smile. Breaking out of his thought, the lime-haired man offered the boy the box,

"I got you a present."

Cautiously taking it in both hands, the boy smiled and darted back into the house,

"Thank you!"

Lloyd shook his head at that and invited Sven in, closing the door behind him,

"Sorry. His mom is _really_ protective of him."

"Not just_ him_," Sven groaned, again thinking back to the macing incident.

"Huh?"

"Nevermind."

He glanced to his left at the living room and spotted a little girl no more than two standing by the coffee table. Her mother sat in a chair nearby, her arms open wide,

"C'mon, Jessie! Come to Mommy!"

The little girl ignored her; instead turning her eyes to Sven. Upon spotting him, she fell back onto her rear and shot him a dopey look. She made a noise and raised her arms at him.

Lloyd laughed at that and stepped over to the little girl, plucking her up off of the floor,

"She always does that when she sees you. I still haven't figured out why..."

Susan giggled as the girl continued to keep her eyes intently Sven, even from her father's arms,

"She's been fixating on colours, lately. Right now, green is her favourite."

The lime-haired man smiled at that and stepped a little closer to the girl,

"Oh, is that right? You like my hair?"

Jessica responded by promptly reaching out and grabbing a fistful of it in her tiny hand. She tugged rather harshly, and Sven let out a yelp. Her mother giggled as the girl continued to pull on it, and quickly sprung from her seat,

"Jessie! Stop that!"

Lloyd was too busy laughing to be of any help in the situation.

Upon finally retracting her hand, Susan took Jessica in her arms and gave her a lime green pacifier to suck on,

"Here, you can have that."

The little girl hastily took it, but continued to stare at Sven all the while. He laughed nervously at his, rubbing his head sorely,

"She really _does_ like the colour green, doesn't she?"

"All right! Who wants cake?"

The brown-haired woman called as she entered the room, carrying a baseball-shaped cake with her. Sven frowned. Her voice...something sounded odd about it. As she set the cake down on the table, she smiled and wiped at her eyes, turning to him with a laugh,

"Oh! You came! I'm so glad."

He stared silently at her as she quickly turned from them, and hurried back into the kitchen,

"Oops, I forgot plates..."

Sven glanced around at the others, Lloyd shooting him a look. Clearing his throat, the lime-haired man stood and followed after her,

"Here, I'll help you with that."

As he entered the kitchen, he spotted Sarah standing by the sink, the back of her hand pressed to her mouth as tears cascaded down her cheeks. He frowned, clearing his throat,

"Are you all right?"

To that, she jumped, unaware that he had followed her, and he jumped as well; fearful that she might have a can of mace in the cupboard somewhere. The plate in her other hand shattered as it hit the floor and she cursed softly through her hiccups, shaking her head,

"Dammit!"

Kneeling down, she began to pick up the pieces and he quickly knelt down with her, scooping up shards as well. After a few moments, she just stopped and began to sob, her body trembling,

"I'm sorry."

"Th-There's no need to be," the 23-year-old stammered, shaking his head,

"I startled you. It wasn't your fault you dropped the plate."

She laughed a little at that and shook her head, continuing to cry. Sitting back he pulled a handkerchief from his coat and handed it to her, the woman blinking in surprise. Taking it, she smiled,

"You really _are _a gentleman, huh?"

Stopping a moment, she shrugged, dabbing her eyes lightly on the cloth,

"I just got a call from my husband...he said he has to work late. It'll be the third time in a row that he misses our son's birthday."

Her laughter turned to sobs again, and she shook her head, looking to the lime-haired man with blurry, red eyes,

"How am I supposed to tell him that? Sorry, sweetie, Daddy's too busy to spend time with you again this year...?"

More tears fell as she bowed her head and she shook her head again,

"How do I tell him?"

Sven's gaze fell to the floor, and he took a deep breath, shaking his head,

"You just do...I guess."

She laughed at that, tucking some hair behind her ear,

"Nice...you're _real _helpful, too. You know that?"

He smiled back as she stood and tossed the glass pieces into the garbage; standing as well,

"I'm sure he _wants_ to be here."

She nodded shortly, turning to him with a forced smile as she went to grab another plate,

"I sure hope so..."

As she opened the cabinet, Sven hurried over and took the plates himself,

"Here, let me take those. These ones, right?"

Sarah nodded as he took them out of the cabinet and smiled to him warmly,

"Yeah, those."

He turned to her and offered a smile,

"Take as much time as you need in here...okay? Just relax."

Sven then left the room, carrying the plates out to the table,

"I've got plates!"

He then took a knife and motioned to Merrick,

"All right, birthday boy. You're first."

The boy smiled and toddled closer to him, Sven smiling down at him,

"Tell me how big you want it, okay?"

"Okay!"

Grabbing the end of the knife, Merrick guided the lime-haired man's hand, to which he laughed,

"You can't take half the cake! What's wrong with you?"

The boy laughed at that.

Sarah watched them from the hall, a thoughtful smile crossing her lips as the boy seemed to immediately bond to him. Lloyd stood from his seat then and walked over to her, shaking his head,

"Are you all right, Sarah? You seem a little upset..."

She shook her head, wiping her eyes again as she shrugged,

"Oh, this? It's...it's just stress."

She watched them again for a minute and sighed,

"He's really good with kids, isn't he?"

Lloyd glanced back out at Sven as he handed the boy his cake, the boy pouting as Sven made it look like he was going to give the rest of the cake to Jessica. He nodded shortly,

"Yeah, he is. I don't think _he_ even realises how good he is at it."

The woman folded her arms as she watched them, another smile crossing her lips,

"That's really...unexpected."

~ø~

A few hours later, Lloyd, carrying his sleeping daughter in his arms, stepped out onto the porch with his wife and started across the lawn, waving warmly to Sarah as she and Sven stepped out after them,

"Night, you two!"

She waved back to them, smiling brightly,

"Night!"

Sven simply nodded, giving a short wave as his partner and his family disappeared into the house.

She turned to him, rubbing her arm as she shrugged,

"Guess you didn't have to work tonight, after all."

Sven blinked at that, scratching his head nervously,

"Oh, yeah...I guess I didn't, huh?"

Sarah covered her mouth as she giggled at that, the lime-haired man laughing as well. As they ceased their laughter, she bit her lip and shrugged,

"I'm sorry I maced you. _Really_. You're very nice."

"Well, if I had a dollar for everytime I heard that..."

She laughed again, smacking him in the arm as she tucked her hair behind her ear,

"I'm serious!"

He winced, rubbing his arm sorely. She'd hit the wound again.

Sven then nodded to the car in front of her house,

"I fixed your car, by the way. There was a short in the transmission."

"Oh my God," she straightened, looking out at her little car and shaking her head,

"I was going to call a mechanic and have it towed! You didn't have to do all that!"

She headed down the side walk, tugging her coat on a little tighter. It was slightly chilly outside.

He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets,

"It was nothing. Helps with insomnia."

"You have insomnia?"

"Off and on," he said cooly,

"It comes with the territory."

"Ahh, yes. Lloyd told me you're both in the middle of an important case, _Inspector_."

The lime-haired man shrugged at that, scratching his head nervously,

"Did he now? I don't really know how I feel about that."

They both laughed again and Sven coughed shortly, clearing his throat,

"Well, I'll should be going, now. The party's over and I'm sure you must be tired."

She shrugged at that, nodding as she tucked her hair behind her ear,

"Yeah, I guess so."

Nodding to her politely, he smiled and started down the sidewalk,

"Well, goodnight then, Mrs. Sarah."

The woman frowned as he walked down the road a ways, calling to him,

"Don't you have a car?"

He turned back, shaking his head,

"No, I brought yours. It's fine, though, I'll just walk-"

"Are you kidding me? You'll freeze in this weather!"

"Believe me, ma'am," he began, waving it off,

"I've been in colder."

"Nonsense," she said, hurrying back into the house. He frowned as she disappeared a few minutes, then reappeared with her keys and her son toddling at her side,

"We'll give you a ride."

"That won't be necessary, it's only 20 blocks-"

"It's the least I can do," she said, opening the back door for Merrick to climb into,

"Besides, I still owe you for driving me home last night. Now come on. Get in."

Sighing, he shook his head and trudged over to the car. She grinned,

"Also, just to let you know, there's a strict _'no talking_' policy in my car."

Shaking his head, he sat down in the passenger seat as she sat down behind the wheel and promptly shut the door,

"Yes, ma'am."

~ø~

As they reached the complex, Sven sighed and unbuckled his seatbelt,

"Well, thanks for the ride."

He frowned as Sarah began to unbuckle hers, raising an eyebrow curiously,

"What are you doing?"

She turned to him, a coy smile on her face,

"Seeing you safely to your door, sir. What does it look like?"

He snorted at her retort and shook his head, rubbing his face as he started to blush,

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Very much."

She leaned back and helped Merrick unbuckle his seatbelt as well, the boy quickly scampering out of the car as Sven opened the door for him,

"There you go, champ."

He grinned at that and rushed over to his mother, wrapping his arms around her legs as she climbed out of the car. She smiled at that and scruffed up his hair a little,

"What are you doing? You little monkey!"

He giggled as she stooped down to tickle him, his laughter echoing in the night air. Sven rounded the car and watched them for a moment, a smile hitting him.

After a minute, Sarah sighed and hoisted the boy up into her arms,

"C'mon, let's walk Mr. Sven to his door. He's probably very tired."

"Okay."

The three of them walked inside, Sven sighing as they followed him up the stairwell to his third story apartment,

"You don't have to walk me up, you know. I'll just be obligated to walk you back to your car, right after."

"And whose fault is that, hmm?"

"Yours," he shot back,

"For walking me to my door."

They reached it, Number 321, after a few short minutes and Sven sighed, turning back to her,

"Well, now that we're here, it's time I walked you back to your car."

"What," the woman frowned, shaking her head,

"Merry and I can't visit you for a few minutes?"

He straightened, shaking his head,

"I-I don't think that would be appropriate."

"Why not?"

He paused, frowning at her,

"My apartment isn't really child friendly..."

"What," she shrugged, raising her eyebrow curiously,

"Do you have porno mags laying out in the open or something?"

"What! N-No," he stammered in shock.

"Well, then there shouldn't be a problem," she promptly stated. Sighing deeply, he unlocked the door and let them inside, closing the door behind them. Quickly, he hurried to the coffee table where his gun lay and picked it up, setting it on a high enough surface that the boy couldn't reach.

She set him down on the ground, and the boy smiled, turning to Sven with big eyes,

"So, you live all by yourself?"

He nodded to the boy, leaning back on the sofa,

"Yep. It's just me here."

"And you don't get lonely?"

Sven stopped at that, his gaze falling as he coughed. He shook his head, rubbing his neck anxiously,

"No. No, I don't get lonely."

"_I'd_ get lonely all by_ myself_..."

The boy said in a matter-of-factly tone. He then turned and hopped up on the sofa, Sarah mouthing to Sven quietly,

"Sorry."

The lime-haired man shook his head and walked over to the miniature kitchen, opening the refrigerator,

"You want anything?"

The woman shook her head, waving down his offer,

"No, thanks. We'll have to get going in a minute."

"I see. So, it's almost time for me to walk you back to your car?"

She laughed at that, nodding shortly,

"Yes, I suppose it is."

They were both quiet for a moment, Sarah sighing deeply as she looked up at him thoughtfully,

"Thank you for your words earlier. And helping with the cake...that was very sweet of you."

"Well, I'm a gentleman, remember?"

That made her laugh and she covered her mouth,

"Oh yeah. How could I forget?"

He stared at her a moment and smiled, lowering his gaze.

"I remember now."

Sarah straightened at the softening tone in his voice and blinked at him, confused.

"Who it is you remind me of," he finished, letting out a deep sigh.

"Oh, I remind you of someone?"

"Yeah," he nodded, a smile on his face as he turned to her,

"You remind me...of my mother."

The brown-haired woman blinked at him, a frown appearing shortly afterward,

"Are you calling me old?"

"What? No!"

She giggled as he blushed and turned away from her. It was apparently very easy to get him flustered. He sighed deeply, mindlessly rubbing his neck

"From what I remember of her...you two are a lot alike."

"What you...remember?"

He paused a moment, the image of woman with sage-green hair kneeling down and hugging him coming to mind,

_'"Be good, now...Sven."'_

She then stood and turned away, climbing into the back seat of a taxi with a full suitcase of in hand. It drove away, even as he stood there crying.

"She left...when I was 8."

Sarah bowed her head.

"And your father?"

The lime-haired man seemed to tense at that, and he swallowed hard, his eyes in shadow as he spoke,

"He and I...didn't really get along."

She straightened at the vicious undertone in his voice and glanced down at his hand. He had it clenched tightly in a ball. It was shaking. She bit her lip,

"I'm sorry."

They were both silent for a moment, until Sven finally let out a sigh and started for the door,

"Well, it's getting late. I should probably walk you back down, now."

She nodded, calling to her son, who was looking through the weapon magazines on the table,

"C'mon, Merry, let's go."

The boy nodded, and scurried out the door. He toddled up on Sven, tugging sharply on his coat,

"So, you have a gun, right? Have you ever shot anybody?"

"Only when I had to."

"Wow, that's cool!"

"Not really, no. I'd rather not have to shoot them if I can help it..."

Sarah sighed as she shut the door and started down the hall after them.

_'"You remind me of my mother. From what I remember of her, you two are a lot alike."'_

She gazed at her son as the boy continued to excitedly jabber away in Sven's direction and she smiled,

_'But unlike your mother, Sven...I won't ever leave my little boy. I would never even dream of it.'_

They reached the car in a matter of minutes and the pair climbed in, Merrick waving wildly at the lime-haired man. Sven waved back, nodding to Sarah as she sat down in the driver's seat,

"Be careful, now, ma'am. Make sure you don't get stuck, again."

"Well, if I do, I know just who to call, _Mr. Gentleman_."

She then started the car and he stepped back, waving as they pulled away. He watched them disappear down the street and smiled, turning back for his building.

What a long day this had been; he'd be going right to sleep tonight.

~ø~

Jeremiah sighed as he sat at his desk, fingers tapping lightly on his keyboard. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then pulled up a medical file entitled, **Goldwynne, Lloyd.**

His eyes widened as he skimmed through it; a strange smile appearing on his face,

"Vision eye? How very interesting..."


	53. Special Chapter 04: Sarah Part Four

**Special Chapter 04: Sarah - Part Four**

** May 18, 1994**

_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK._

Lloyd hurriedly jogged to the front door, the towel he'd been using to dry his wet hair falling onto his shoulders,

"Got it!"

He expected it to be Sven, anyway, as he was running a little behind.

When he opened it, though, he frowned,

"Jeremiah? What are you doing here?"

The raven-haired man, who looked as though he had not slept a wink the night previous, smiled to him warmly,

"Ah, yes...I-I was wondering if I might ask you a few things."

"Ask me a few things? I don't see why not. What's on your mind?"

"The vision eye."

Lloyd straightened, his eyes widening at how casually the man regarded it,

"Excuse me?"

"It can see into the future, yes?"

The bespectacled man frowned, swallowing hard. He hadn't told anyone about the vision eye; not even Sven, really. The most he had let on about the foreseeing powers he had was that he was a pretty good guesser. In fact, the only ones who _did_ know about it were his wife and the doctors in charge of the yearly physical that all field agents were required to take part in. A cold feeling hit him,

"You went through my file?"

"Only a little," the raven-haired man shrugged, his voice very soft,

"When the chief told me you had a bit of a sixth sense, I became curious. So, what is it like, Lloyd? Seeing the future?"

"It's nothing special, really," the man said quickly, his hand firmly on the door,

"Why do you ask?"

"Because, I was thinking...with a power like that, you could really change the world. Mould it, shape it to what you want it to be. It could become a paradise, a place of peace where nobody got hurt or had to die."

Lloyd swallowed hard. The ominous tone in this man's voice...this was not good. Wherever this was going was definitely not good.

"I'm going to be leaving the IBI soon, Lloyd. Why don't you come with me? There's an organisation that could really use that eye of yours. We could join together. It's called Chro-"

"I don't really care what it's called, Jeremiah," Lloyd snapped quickly. It didn't make sense, any of what this man was talking about. And the terrible feeling he got just by looking at him. He didn't remember him being this way before.

"That's why I joined the IBI. To use my power to help people. I'm quite happy where I am, so thanks, but no thanks."

Jeremiah looked broken at his quick words. Clearing his throat, Lloyd awkwardly straightened,

"I think you should leave, now."

The raven-haired man stared at him a moment, then bowed his head. He nodded shortly and darted back across the lawn to the brick house next door; Sven pulling up moments later. The lime-haired man stepped out of the car and started up the walk, cigarette on his lips,

"Sorry, I'm late. Traffic. We got a search warrant for the warehouse today. You ready?"

As he reached the porch, Lloyd didn't respond. He didn't even acknowledge him. Sven raised an eyebrow at this and reached out to him, grabbing his shoulder,

"Hey, you all right?"

Lloyd's eyes widened.

-ø-

**Sven was standing alone ona dark street, when from behind him came a burly man with a wrench. The lime-haired man turned as the man reached him; the wrench coming down swiftly on the right side of his face.**

_**"Lloyd? Hey!"**_

** -**ø-

The bespectacled man gasped as he came out of the vision, finding himself sitting on the floor. Sven was kneeling down next to him, and Susan had come down stairs as well. They were both staring at him. Susan lightly took hold of his arm,

"Sweetheart? Are you okay?"

He blinked at her, then shook his head and coughed,

"Y-Yeah..."

Quickly, he stood and took a deep breath, nodding shortly,

"I-I guess I just didn't eat enough this morning..."

"You sure you'll be all right," Sven began, eyeing him suspiciously,

"Maybe you should sit this one out. I can get William to back me up-"

"I told you it's nothing!"

They both straightened at his sudden shout and Lloyd bit his lip, bowing his head as he hurried upstairs,

"Sorry. I'll be down in a minute."

Sven glanced over at Susan as his partner disappeared and she at him; both of their faces filled with concern.

A few minutes later, Lloyd came back down fully dressed; coat under his arm. Giving Susan a kiss on the cheek, he nodded to Sven and started out of the front door,

"Okay, let's go."

Glancing once back at Susan, Sven jogged down the walkway after his partner,

"Hey, wait up a minute!"

Lloyd stopped as he reached the passenger door and glanced back at Sven, sighing.

Sven frowned, shaking his head,

"You sure you're up for this? You seem off about something."

"It's...it's nothing, Sven, really. My blood sugar dropped, I guess..."

"You _guess_? You're a bad liar, Lloyd. Now, you want to tell me what _really_ happened?"

The brown-haired man sighed, glancing a ways on down the street,

"Not really."

"Oh, look who it is! Morning, you two!"

The two men glanced up to see Sarah standing in the driveway with Merrick. The little boy had his back pack on and was wearing a little blue and white school uniform.

Sven smiled and waved at them, his lime green hair fluttering slightly in the breeze,

"Morning!"

Lloyd remained oddly silent. Jogging over to them, Sarah smiled, elbowing Sven in the side,

"Off to another tough case, _Inspector_?"

"I guess you could say that."

She patted Lloyd on the shoulder as she smiled,

"Well, be careful, then, both of you. I'd hate it if something happened to either of you."

"We will. You be careful, too, all right?"

"Sure."

Jogging back to the car, she helped Merrick buckle himself in. She then hopped into the driver seat and backed out, waving to them warmly,

"Take care!"

Sven waved back as they drove on down the street and turned the corner. He glanced over at Lloyd, frowning. There was something dark hovering over his partner...but he couldn't place what it was.

~ø~

They reached the warehouse after about 30 minutes, Sven pulling out his pistol as he stepped out of the car,

"Now, are you gonna tell me what was going on with you earlier?"

Lloyd remained silent at that and readied his gun as well. The lime-haired man sighed deeply,

"I saw Sarah's husband leaving when I showed up. What did he want?"

"Sugar."

"For what?"

"His cereal. Now, will you stop with third degree? It's just as I told you. I didn't eat enough this morning and my blood sugar dropped. That's all."

"You sure?"

Lloyd bowed his head.

"Yes," he began, the image of Sven being beaten with a wrench returning to him,

"That's all."

Sven stared at him a moment, then sighed deeply,

"Fine. Whatever you say."

He then turned his attention back to the building and started toward it,

"Just keep your ears open, all right?"

"Right."

They spotted a tan-skinned man with a bushy mustache standing outside the warehouse, and Sven nodded to him,

"Hey, there...you're one of the Rodriguez boys, right?"

The man groaned, his balding head gleaming in the sunlight as he rolled his eyes,

"You again? How many times do we gotta tell you _dogs_ that you ain't getting in without a warrant?"

To that, Sven promptly raised the paper in his hand so that the man could see it; blinking dully,

"Then, what do you call _this_, hot shot?"

He snatched the paper from Sven's hand, and read over it, snarling in annoyance,

"It's not like ya's gonna find anything, anyway. We ain't got nothing."

"We'll see about that," the lime-haired man motioned to his partner,

"C'mon, Lloyd. Let's go take a look."

~ø~

Jeremiah sighed deeply as he sat at his desk, his mind racing as he continued to gaze at the picture of his family.

_'The vision eye...with a power like that...I could protect millions of people. I could save so many lives...but Goldwynne...he doesn't want to do that. He thinks too small; believes this small scale police force will do him just fine. But what about other countries? What about the people there? Don't they deserve to be protected?'_

He picked up the photo, touching his fingertips lightly to it. It was a photo of his wife with her arms wrapped around their adorable son. It had been taken just a week ago, when they had gone to the park for a picnic with the first grader's class. He narrowed his eyes,

_'How can I even hope to protect my family without a power like that?'_

"Warren!"

The raven-haired man jumped as he spun around to see the chief standing behind him,

"Ch-Chief!"

The red-haired man patted the startled man on the shoulder,

"Good job with that warrant. Wish it hadn't have taken you two months, but still, good job."

"It couldn't be helped, sir," Jeremiah coughed, nervously adjusting his tie,

"The judge kept giving me the run around, not to mention the Rodriguez boys had their lawyers try to halt our progress."

"Well, good on you for sticking with it. You're a great asset to the team. I sent Vollfied and Goldwynne to check it out. When they get back, I'll need you to document their findings."

"Yes, sir."

The chief walked away then, and Jeremiah sighed, dropping his gaze back to the papers on his desk. Moving the latest case file out of the way, he picked up the manila folder that had been buried under his paperwork. The name on the side read '**BERNADO'**...

~ø~

"I just finished checking the other side of the warehouse," Lloyd sighed as he walked back over to his lime-haired partner and shook his head,

"Empty. There's nothing there."

"And there was nothing here, either..."

Sven groaned as he stood from his spot and dusted off his hands,

"I find it hard to believe that it would take two months to get a search warrant for an empty warehouse."

"You think there's more to it, then?"

"Hell yeah, I do," the lime-haired man scowled as they started toward the exit,

"If these guys _really_ had nothing to hide, we would have been _done _with them already."

Lloyd nodded, sighing again,

"The judge must be in their back pocket."

"Exactly," Sven nodded, pulling out a cigarette as reached the door,

"They probably paid him to stall while they emptied out the warehouse. With the size of this place...I'd wager it took them two months to do just that."

His phone rang then and he groaned, pulling from his pocket as he popped the cigarette into his mouth,

"Yeah?"

**"Sven. You and Lloyd need to get down to King's Street, pronto. There's been another one."**

"Right, on it."

He snapped his phone shut and turned to Lloyd, taking out his lighter,

"That was William. Got another victim on King's Street."

"Did he say if it was the assassin?"

Sven shook his head as they briskly started back toward the car,

"Won't really know until we get there."

~ø~

The entirety of King's Street had been blocked off. Lloyd's eyes widened as they pulled up to the scene. Debris littered the road. Trash bins had been destroyed. Bullet holes riddled the walls of the surrounding buildings and parked cars. They stepped out of the car, Sven letting out a whistle,

"Damn. More like a war zone rather than the scene of a murder..."

"Five murders, actually," said a strong voice as a man with sleek, black hair came up to them. His eyes were small, squinting as he looked to them, the sun beaming down right on his face,

"We got a call about a gun fight a half an hour ago, between our cartel and another family. Our assassin showed up. Killed all five involved."

Sven glanced around at the covered bodies strewn about the street, and the large burn mark on the asphalt,

"I can see that. Were there any witnesses?"

"One woman. Rogers is taking her statement now. Said she was standing down the street, watching from the coffee shop when it all went down. The call was from her."

He glanced over at the nearby police cars and spotted a woman with short, blonde hair. She looked gruff; wearing a heavy, canvas jacket and blue jeans.

"She got a name?"

"Annette Pierce. Said she's a sweeper. Guess she was looking to nab the assassin herself..."

"_Great_. Just what we need on this case. Some fool-hearty dumbass running around and getting in the way of our case."

Lloyd groaned at the disdainful tone in his partner's voice and sighed deeply,

"_Sven_..."

"What? I'm just saying. Having a sweeper coming after our assassin is the last thing we need, right now."

William shook his head, nodding in the woman's direction,

"Nah, I've met Annette once before. She's pretty good. _And _level-headed. If we ask her to butt out, then she will. _Begrudgingly so, _but she will."

"Good," Sven said, ducking under the crime scene tape as he started over to one of the bodies,

"I'd hate to add a woman to the list of casualties this assassin is making. So, do we know who they are, yet?"

_**KATINK-TINK.**_

The lime-haired man straightened as his eyes followed the sound. On the ground, lying a few feet away from him, lay a grenade with it's pin missing.

William, who was right behind him, cursed and grabbed the lime-haired man by the arm; pulling him down with him,

"GET DOW-"

_**BAKOOM.**_

Lloyd cursed as he ducked behind one of the nearby trucks. There was no time to think before that blast had gone off. Sven and William...they had both been right out in the open. He swallowed hard, cautiously standing as the ringing in his ears subsided. Pulling out his gun, he started into the dust cloud, trying his best to peer through the smoke,

"Sven! William!"

No response. Ducking under the tape, he glanced down upon hearing a groan,

"Sven?"

A figure in the dust began to move at that and Lloyd hurried over to them, kneeling down as he recognised it to be the lime-haired man,

"Sven! You okay?"

Sven, nodded, momentarily dazed as he rose up onto his elbow,

"Y-Yeah...I think so."

He winced upon feeling a stinging in his head and touched a hand to the jagged cut on his scalp. Blood was already caking his hair. He cursed as he got to his knees, the warm liquid now beginning to run down his face,

"Where's William?"

"Inspector Smith!"

They both glanced up as the smoke began to clear, and Sven straightened. William was now lying five feet away from him, face down in a pool of blood. A rookie officer, one he recognised to be Forrest Rogers, was kneeling down at the man's side trying to stop the bleeding as he called for help,

"Officer down! Officer down! Need an ambulance at King's Street, now! West end!"

Sven cursed at this and rose to his feet; ignoring his partner's protests to stay still. Charging forward down the road, he pulled out his pistol and glanced around as he reached the intersection. The assassin had been watching them the whole time. He'd tried to kill them, and in one case, he might have just succeeded. He growled angrily at the thought, glancing from building to building. Where was he? Where was that bastard?

Lloyd rushed over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder,

"The ambulance is on the way. C'mon, you need to sit down."

"He was watching us, Lloyd. That bastard had his eye on us the whole time."

"I know," the bespectacled man said, shaking his head,

"But he bailed. When that bomb went off, it's not likely he stuck around to see who he got. So come on...you need to go sit for now."

With a curse, the lime-haired reluctantly lowered his gun. He felt the world beginning to wobble under his feet, and gingerly touched a hand to the gash on his head.

It was probably a concussion; _just _what he needed, right now...

~ø~

_**A few hours later...**_

"How's William?"

Lloyd sighed as he came back into the waiting room and sat down beside his partner, scratching his head,

"He lost a lot of blood, but he should be okay. They're giving him a tranfusion, now."

"I see."

"And how are you," Lloyd began, nodding to the bandages on his head. Sven shrugged, casually brushing at his nose,

"Slight concussion, but I'll be fine. I've had worse."

He then stood, shoving his hands in his pockets,

"I'm gonna go grab some coffee. You want anything?"

Lloyd shook his head at that, pulling his cellphone from his pocket,

"No...I think I'm gonna call my wife. She probably heard about the blast on the news...no doubt she's worried."

"Yeah, no doubt."

The lime-haired man then turned and left the room; Lloyd sighing in his wake. He clapped his phone shut and pulled some papers from his pocket; staring down at them silently. On the top most paper, were the words "**REGISTERING FOR ORGAN DONATION**" in bold, black letters.

~ø~

"The princess waited in her tower for days on end, wondering if someone, anyone was going to show up to defeat the evil witch who kept her locked away. To her delight, a handsome knight in shining armour appeared one day at the tower door."

Flipping to the next page in the book, Sarah straightened her posture and put on a deeper voice as she raised her fist,

"'You will release the princess now, you evil sorceress!' He cried, brandishing his sword from the sheath at his side. The evil witch cackled wildly at him, throwing her head back, 'Nonsense,'" she continued, putting on a sneering voice this time around,

"'I'll never let you take her from this tower...alive!'"

The children seated around her laughed at her whimsical motions and she smiled, readying to read the next part as she caught sight of a man with lime-green hair standing by the door. His head was bandaged. Turning to the nurse beside her, she coughed and smiled warmly to him,

"Rick, do you mind taking over for me a minute? There's something I need to go check on."

The blonde man smiled and took the book from her, clearing his throat as he turned back to the children,

"All right, where were we?"

She hurried over to him, an angry look on her face and he swallowed hard, quickly backing out of the doorway. He started down the hall, the woman in hot pursuit. She grabbed a hold of his trenchcoat as it flapped up and tugged hard on it; tripping him. He fell flat on his face.

Pushing himself up, he growled at her in annoyance and rubbed sorely at his nose,

"The hell is wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with _you_? You show up outside the door all bandaged up and try to walk away without me noticing that!"

He stood and brushed himself off, shrugging,

"I was on my way to get coffee."

"So, why did you stop?"

The lime-haired man shrugged, scratching the back of his head nervously,

"Dunno. Just did."

She folded her arms, her anger dissolving into worry,

"So...are you okay? And Lloyd? Where's he?"

"He's in the waiting room. One of our buddies got hurt in the blast-"

"The blast? You mean that explosion on King's Street this afternoon?"

Sven swallowed hard.

"Yeah."

She stared at him blankly.

_SLAM._

He coughed harshly as she drove her fist into his gut, and she shrieked at the top of her lungs,

"I said be _careful_, you jackass! That's the complete _opposite_ of careful!"

"I can't help that! Danger is in my job description!"

He pressed his hand to his temple as his world began to spin again, and narrowed his eyes at her,

"Jeez, with friends like _you_ who needs enemies?"

Sarah sighed at that and carefully took his arm, leading him over to a nearby bench,

"C'mon you. Let's go sit down. You look like you're about to drop."

They sat down, Sven groaning as his vision began to fuzz up. He closed his eyes lightly, clearing his throat,

"So, you work in the children's ward?"

She nodded shortly, letting out a deep sigh,

"Yes, I'm a children's nurse. I'm actually taking classes to become a pediatrician."

They both silenced for a moment and to which Sarah finally sighed,

"Well, I'd better get back to 'storytelling'. Those kids aren't gonna be happy if I don't come back to finish the story. The guy I left them with doesn't do the voices."

"Ahh, right."

As she stood, she turned to him and pointed to her left,

"The coffee shop is straight down that hallway. You'd be much better off with their coffee rather than the cafeteria's."

"Ah, thanks."

As he stood, she stepped forward and gave him a warm hug; the lime-haired man blinking at her in confusion. She pulled away, offering him a smile,

"I'm glad you're okay."

Blushing slightly, he turned away from her, and waved,

"Me, too. See you."

For a moment, she watched him walk on down the hallway, waving politely back. Then, with a sigh, she turned and started back the other way. She was thankful that her husband didn't have the same attraction to danger that Sven or Lloyd seemed to. These men in her life were going to be the death of her.

~ø~

Jeremiah trembled as he stood at the end of the hall; the flowers in his hand dropping to the floor. He had watched them from afar; the way his wife had so easily run to the lime-haired agent's side. How friendly she had been with him, and the way she'd wrapped her arms around him. It may have seemed like a simple gesture, but that embrace was one of deep affection, he could tell. Clenching his fist tightly into a ball, he slammed it against the wall; his eyes burning with rage and his heart filling with anguish. He glared at the lime-haired man's back as he walked down the hall, his blood boiling,

_'Vollfied...!'_

~ø~

Sven frowned as he strode up behind his bespectacled partner, glancing over his shoulder,

"Organ donation? You planning on dying soon?"

Lloyd jumped at that, sighing deeply as he turned and stuttered,

"N-No! I was just...I figured now was a good a time as any to sign up. With what happened today...the explosion and all...you can never really be too sure about what the future holds, you know?"

"Yeah."

Lloyd calmly handed the filled out documents back to the nurse, and she smiled warmly to him,

"Thank you for your time, sir."

He nodded at that, a strange feeling flooding through him. It was a cold sensation; the hollowness that accompanied a lot of his visions. But it was different this time, the feeling...it was heavier somehow.

He then sighed and turned to Sven,

"Now, c'mon. Let me give you a ride home. You really shouldn't push yourself anymore today with that injury of yours."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I am kind of tired."

"Kind of? You nearly got yourself blown up and you're only 'kind of' tired?"

"Yeah, _slightly_. I blame it on the concussion."

~ø~

Lloyd arrived back at his house late in the evening, his mind and body both completely drained. He staggered out of the car and swung his coat over his arm, trudging up to the front door. Taking out his key, he carefully unlocked it as not to disturb anyone sleeping inside. He stepped through the threshold and shut the door quietly behind him. It looked as though everyone was asleep.

"Lloyd?"

He jumped as he turned around, his eyes settling on the figure of his wife. She was standing behind him, dressed in pink pajamas and one of his robes. He smiled to her; relieved,

"Susan."

Quickly, the woman ran and threw her arms around him, squeezing her eyes shut,

"I saw the explosion on the news. I tried calling you so many times."

He squeezed her tightly, burying his face in her long hair as she continued,

"I was so worried about you."

At that, he sighed and held her even tighter.

"I'm sorry. I'll call next time."

"You'd better," she said pulling back from him with a smile as she wiped her eyes. Taking him by the hand, she lead him toward the stairs,

"Now, come on. Let's get you into bed. You must be exhausted..."

"Yeah...I really am."

* * *

**A/N: So, the next chapter should be the last of the flashback. I'm not looking forward to this.**

**Lloyd... ;^;  
**


	54. Special Chapter 04: Sarah Part Five

**A/N: WOW. This one is a loooooooooooong one. I made a point to use the dialog directly from the manga so that the scenes would _hopefully_ be more believable.**

**You might want to grab something to eat...this may take a while.**

* * *

**Special Chapter 04: Sarah - Part Five**

** May 25th 1994**

Lloyd groaned as he heard the radio alarm go off and rolled over quickly, pressing sleep. He then rolled back over and put an arm around his wife, burying his face in her hair. It always smelled so nice. The woman smiled at this, murmuring softly as she slowly woke up,

"I thought you were meeting Sven today..."

"I am."

"Then, shouldn't you be going? You'll be late..."

Softly kissing her cheek, he grinned and held her tight,

"Nah...he can wait a few minutes."

She giggled at this and rolled over to look up at him,

"That doesn't sound like you...I thought you always made a point to be punctual."

"Well, today is _special._"

"Oh, is it?"

He nodded and leaned down, kissing her tenderly on the lips. At this, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kept him close, enjoying the intimacy of the moment...

...until a shrill cry echoed throughout the house.

They separated, Susan groaning as the girl's cries grew louder,

"And that's the end of that."

Lloyd smiled and pulled away from the woman, clambering out of bed,

"I'll get her."

"You sure?"

"Of course!"

He disappeared from the room for a moment, re-entering moments later with his spitting image in his arms. Her eyes were red and puffy from sobbing and she clung to her father tightly, continuing to hiccup as he brought her over to her mother,

"What's wrong, Jessie? You should be happy! It's your birthday."

She buried her face in her father's shoulder as he sat down, Susan brushing at the child's soft, brown hair with a giggle. Lloyd bounced her a little, but the girl did not perk up,

"You're gonna be two, today! Yes, you are!"

Jessica made a noise at that, a noise that sound like 'boo'. He laughed, kissing her on the top of her head,

"What's the matter, huh? You don't wanna grow up?"

Grinning, he pulled her up so that her head lay on his shoulder and gently rubbed her tiny back,

"It's okay. I don't want you to grow up, either."

Pulling her away, he planted a loud, wet kiss on the one-year-old's cheek and the girl smiled, letting out the happiest giggle either of them had ever heard.

He then turned to Susan and they shared a kiss as their daughter continued to giggle and coo at them.

~ø~

Next door, a woman with warm brown hair was waking up as well. She smiled as she rolled over, her eyes still closed as she reached for her husband,

"Good morning, _sunshine_..."

Her hand hit empty mattress. She opened her eyes and frowned. He wasn't there...and it looked as though he hadn't even come home the night previous. She sighed. He'd been growing quite distant toward her lately, and everytime they did talk, it ended in an argument. Running a hand through her hair, she let out an aggrivated puff of air.

What had happened to them?

~ø~

Lloyd grinned as he kissed his wife one last time, buttoning up his coat hastily as he reached the front door,

"I'll see you tonight."

"Her party is at seven, don't forget."

"I won't!"

He hopped in his car then and backed out of the drive way, the woman continuing to wave as he pulled away from the house. The tiny girl in her arms looked on as the car drove down the street, a pout striking her face,

"Dah...dee."

~ø~

Next door, a small boy excitedly put on his back pack and ran for the door, his mother grabbing her car keys,

"Now, now! Merrick, wait for Mommy, okay?"

"But it's show and tell today! We have to hurry!"

"Well, the school day doesn't start for another half an hour, so don't worry! You won't miss it!"

Merrick grabbed her hand as she took her coat and dragged her toward the door, the woman laughing as he madly babbled at her,

"Jake's bringing in his baseball card collection! And Sammy is bringing in his dad's archi...R-key..."

"Archaeology?"

"Yeah! His dad's_ archology _kit!"

He bounced in place as he reached the car door, waiting, albeit impatiently, for his mother to lock up the house,

"_Come on_, Mommy!"

Sarah shook her head and laughed, trotting over to his door and letting him in first,

"If only you were this excited about school _all_ the time..."

At this moment, a sleek black Mercedes drove up next to their station wagon and she smiled; recognising it to be her husband's work car. He stepped out and she motioned to the boy to wait, who groaned, and slammed back against the car door with a sigh. Strolling over to him, she smiled and stepped in his way; wrapping her arms around his neck,

"I missed you this morning. You pulled an all-nighter, again?"

She went to kiss him and he turned his head away; the woman frowning as he lips met his cheek instead of their intended target. He pushed her away from him then, and marched toward the door,

"I only stopped by to pick something up. I don't have time for you, now."

Sarah frowned as he disappeared into the house, following after him in a huff. Merrick pouted as he saw the anger in her steps and he sat down on the driveway, resting his cheek on his palm.

They were going to fight, again. Now he'd _really _be late for show and tell.

~ø~

Sarah stormed after her husband, her arms folded as she followed him into the back where his office was,

"You mind telling me what the hell is the matter with you?"

"I don't know what you mean."

"The cold shoulder," she shouted, a hurt expression on her face,

"Ever since Merry's birthday, you've been acting different! It's like everytime I try to talk to you, you brush me off!"

"And who's fault would that be?"

She stopped as he turned sharply and glared at her, a confused frown on her face,

"You're blaming this on me?"

Letting out a shocked laugh, she rubbed her eyes with one hand and shook her head,

"I don't even know what to say to that..."

"You could start by explaining yourself-"

"Explaining myself," she shrieked, shaking her head,

"I don't even know what you're talking about! I have no idea what's made you so distant and cold and-"

"You could ask your_ little friend _that question. I bet _he'd_ be able to answer it real well."

She straightened, raising an eyebrow at him,

"My 'little friend'?"

He glared at her silently. With a hurt smile, she nodded,

"Oh...you think I'm cheating on you. And who would my _little friend _be, Jeremiah? Want to clue me in?"

The raven-haired man remained silent. To this, she clapped her hands and pressed her fingertips to her lips,

"Oh! Oh, I know. It's Lloyd, right? Because I go over there an_ awful _lot and he's just across the lawn? _Easy access_, am I right?"

His scowl darkened at her sarcastic tone and she laughed, shaking her head,

"No? Not him? Hmm, then let's see, who else could I be spending _copious_ amounts of time in the bedroom with? It's certainly not _you_, since you're _never _home, so it's _gotta_ be somebody, right? Cause I just can't _handle_ myself around other men? So, let's see, who else do I know that is young and attractive enough for me to want to hop into bed with? Hmm..."

She paced the floor, tapping her index finger to her chin,

"Oh, well, there's Rick at the hospital. Oh, wait! He and his wife just had a _baby_! No no, that would be too complicated a mess for me. Newborns and mistresses really don't mesh well, you know?"

"So, who else do we have on the table, then," she said sarcastically, a hurt tone in her voice,

"Correction, who else have _I_ had on _our_ table?"

He snarled at that and clenched his fists,

"Don't mock me, Sarah. I saw the two of you together at the hospital."

"You _saw_ us?"

She stopped then, a lightbulb in her head seeming to click on at that moment,

"You...you think I'm having an affair...with_ Sven_?"

She laughed at that, shaking her head as she saw the venomous flicker in his eyes,

"That's_ it_, isn't it? You think Sven and I have a thing on the side, don't you? I mean, he _is_ good looking. Oh, and he's just _wonderful _with kids. He's a _great_ catch. That and he has _really_ strong arms. Helps a lot with the love making."

He charged toward her and grabbed her arm harshly,

"I said, 'don't mock me'!"

"How can I _not_! You're being_ ridiculous_!"

She pulled her arm away from him and turned away from him, storming into the next room,

"Sven and I are _just_ friends! Nothing more than that."

The woman turned as she reached the door, her eyes narrowing as he rentered her line of sight,

"And you'd know that if you were around more. Have a good day at work."

She slammed the door behind her and he snarled. Grabbing a nearby vase, he hurled it at the wall; smashing it into pieces.

~ø~

Sarah wiped her eyes quickly as she hurried back out to the car, Merrick jumping to his feet upon seeing her. He could tell she was trying not to cry. She opened the door for him and smiled, her voice quivering a little as she cleared her throat,

"Hop in, sweetie."

The little boy nodded and she leaned in, helping him buckle up. He smiled up at her, and gave her a kiss on the cheek,

"I love you, Mommy."

To that, she stopped and gave him a hug; trying her hardest to surpress her tears,

"I love you, too..."

Closing the door then, she climbed into the driver's seat and checked her makeup briefly in the rearview mirror. She then turned to Merrick and smiled,

"Okay, let's get you to show and tell!"

He flashed her a toothy grin.

~ø~

Jeremiah sighed as he pulled out his cell phone and a slip of paper. Dialling the number on said paper, he waited patiently for someone to pick up on the other end. They answered after three rings,

**"Vasquez."**

"Yes, Mr. Vasquez...I have some information for you that you may be interested in."

**"Oh?"**

The raven-haired man narrowed his eyes as he looked toward the front door,

"Yes, it's about the two IBI agents who stripped you of your job. The ones who arrested Mr. Bernado, your employer?"

**"Who the hell is this?"**

"Meet me at the bar on 4th street at six 'o clock...and I'll tell you all I know about them."

He clapped his phone shut, and narrowed his eyes; his blood still boiling in wake of Sarah's words,

_'"_ _That and he has __**really**__ strong arms. Helps a lot with the love making."'_

"You'll regret it, Vollfied," he seethed, his fist clenching tightly around his phone,

"You'll regret ever laying eyes on my wife."

~ø~

Sarah sighed as she pulled away from the elementary school, her son waving vigorously as she drove off. He then turned and ran inside with his friends. As she reached the traffic light, she stopped and laid her head down on the steering wheel. He didn't deserve to be put in the middle of their fighting. She could tell how much it affected him; especially since he didn't seem to want to leave the Goldwynne's house nowadays. A loving family was what he needed. Another sigh escaped her.

Maybe she'd pop the question today. Even after they had just had that terrible fight, she couldn't stay angry with him. He was under a lot of stress from work, and without sleep, the man could get pretty wild. She remembered one time when he'd gotten no sleep for a week and climbed the roof, insisting that she wasn't his real wife, but an imposter. He'd had to be admitted to the hospital then, but once he'd come back to his senses, they'd shared a laugh about it and moved on. The same would happen this time, she was sure, but hopefully without the hospital stay.

With that she smiled. She would ask him today; it was a good time. Maybe it would help mend the growing void between them. And she was certain their son would be thrilled to have a little brother or sister to run around the house with. As the light turned green, she placed her foot on the gas and started down the next street. She glanced over to her left as she reached the corner of 5th and smiled a little as she spotted a man with lime-green hair standing by the street light. Another man, with brown and spectacles, was striding up to him, and after a minute, the two started down the sidewalk and disappeared in the crowd.

~ø~

Jeremiah sat in the corner most booth, his raven-hair hanging down slightly in front of his face. He glanced down at the manila envelope in front of him, his eyes narrowing. He would have that power; the power of the vision eye. If Goldwynne wouldn't willingly give it up, he'd take it by force...and by any means necessary. It was a plus that Vollfied was his partner; he could kill two birds with one stone.

"You Jeremiah Warren?"

Jeremiah glanced up, spotting a man with short blonde hair and a five o'clock shadow standing in front of him. He wore a red turtleneck with a black sweater over top of it, and a pair of hideous, paisley pants. Behind him were two other men; both equally unattractive in features and dress.

He turned to address at the leader of this trio, a strange look in his eyes,

"I am. You are head of the Bernado family muscle, I presume? Mr. Vasquez?"

The blonde-haired man grinned, flicking open a lighter as he popped a cigarette into his mouth,

"That's right. And I hear tell you got some information for us...about the two _bastards_ that got our bosses locked away?"

"I do..."

"Well, then," the man sat down, his eyes a light with revenge,

"Start talkin'."

~ø~

_BANG BANG._

"Agh!"

A man with greasy, black hair fell to his knees; a bullet lodged in his thigh. The other bullet had hit his shoulder and he dropped his gun, glaring up angrily at the two men walking toward him,

"Curse you...IBI dogs!"

"That's right," the lime-haired man said calmly, smoking gun in hand,

"And you don't stand a chance as long as dogs like us can sniff out crap like you. So, what's it gonna be, _Mr. Assassin_? You gonna go quietly and make this easy?"

_**"Sven Vollfied. The man is a nasty thorn in my side...I need you to get rid of him for me."**_

The greasy-haired man chuckled as he reached into his coat and rummaged around for a moment. Lloyd straightened at this,

_'He's got something...'_

He narrowed his eyes, willingly activating the foreseeing power of his eyes.

-ø-

_**The assassin pulled out a grenade, and moments later it exploded in his hand; taking them along with him.**_

-ø-

Lloyd's eyes widened and quickly he reached into his coat, pulling out a utility knife,

"No!"

The knife sailed through the air; it's blade digging into the assassin's hand. He yelped and dropped the grenade, and it hit the ground with a loud 'clunk'.

The bespectacled man swallowed hard, shouting to his partner nervously,

"Sven!"

"I'm on it!"

Sven darted forward and scooped the grenade off the ground. Without a second thought, he hurled it up into the air and it exploded seconds later, raining small scraps of debris down on them.

_**"I need you to spare his partner, however. He has something I want."**_

~ø~

Vasquez smirked at the man's proposal, sighing deeply as he took the wad of cash from the manila envelope,

"I can't make any promises, Mr. Warren. _Both _of those dogs put our boss in the penn, not just_ one_. If I put one of 'em down...I may just have to do the same to the other."

He then stood, his boys following him out of the bar,

"Thanks for the hefty tip, though," he said, pocketing the cash, "I'm much obliged."

Jeremiah straightened and stood from the bar,

"W-Wait a minute! What about my offer?"

Vasquez grinned, as he glanced back at the panicking man and chuckled,

"Oh? You mean that bit about saving the world from evil? Sorry, not interested. The only thing I really want...is to make those bastards pay for making me lose my job."

He and his posse then turned and left, leaving Jeremiah to himself. He grit his teeth and cursed, his heart racing. Those fools, he knew he shouldn't have trusted them. Quickly, he stood and hurried out the door. He had to put a stop to this beast he'd set in motion and fast...before an innocent man was needlessly killed.

~ø~

"Here you are."

A man with slick, black hair sighed as he handed the last of the paper work to the brown-haired nurse and she smiled,

"Well, I'm glad to see you leaving here, Mr. Smith."

William smiled as he slung his coat over his shoulder,

"Me too, though I'm not quite 100 percent just yet. Thank you...it's Sarah, right?"

Sarah smiled, nodding shortly to him,

"Yes, sir, that it is."

"I thought Jeremiah told me you worked as a children's nurse. What are you doing over here?"

"Oh, just covering a friend's shift. She had to leave suddenly."

"Oh, right. Well, I suppose I'll be seeing you at the office party this weekend?"

She straightened, her eyes wide,

"Office party?"

"Yeah, didn't Jeremiah tell you about it? We're having a party on Saturday for the chief. He's retiring."

She shook her head, hugging the clipboard with a sigh,

"N-No...he and I...we've been having trouble lately. He didn't say a word."

"I see...he was rather stressed last I saw him. Well, don't worry about it. I'm sure once the cartel assassin is off the streets, he'll get better."

"I hope you're right. Take care, now."

"You, too, Sarah."

He turned and left then and she sighed, handing his paperwork to the other nurse at the station. She looked to her watch. 7:15. Quickly grabbing her purse, she waved to the other nurse and smiled,

"See you, Nancy!"

"Goodnight, dear!"

With a deep breath, she hurried down the hall. She didn't want to be late picking up her son from his soccer practice. They still had to stop in at the Goldwynne's to give Jessica her birthday present...

~ø~

"Oh, crap! Look at the time! I have to get home...!"

Lloyd cursed softly as he sprung off of the bar stool and grabbed his coat. Sven raised an eyebrow at him, a joking tone in his voice,

"The wife got you on a short leash?"

"It's not like that!"

He set some money on the table and hurried for the door, calling back to his partner as he dashed away,

"Sorry, Sven! See you tomorrow!"

As he hurried out of the bar, he was completely unaware of the eyes that peered out from the shadows; watching his every move.

~ø~

Jeremiah cursed as he finally reached the street he had tailed Bernado's men to, his heart racing. He watched from afar as they approached a man with lime-green hair and sighed with relief. Lloyd was not with him. Good.

His eyes widened then as a man approached Sven from behind and the man turned; receiving a wrench to the right side of his face. He went down hard, blood spilling through the air as he fell. Jeremiah grit his teeth and swallowed hard. He suddenly felt nauseous as he watched the men drag him to their car and toss him in the trunk. They sped off shortly after that. Taking a deep breath, he followed after them.

He wanted to be certain this job was done correctly...

~ø~

Lloyd sighed as he hurried down the street. He hadn't realised how far away the station was. Glancing down at his watch, he swallowed hard. It was now 8. He had missed the party by an hour. Susan was going to kill him. He paused a moment upon reaching a toy store window and glanced down. A small bear no bigger than his palm sat in the window; seeming to stare up at him with pleading eyes. He looked down at the price tag,

"Eight dollars, huh?"

~ø~

Susan sighed as she sat in the living room, gazing blankly at the table. 8:10. She shook her head and began cleaning up the coffee table. Sarah and Merrick had left already, and her husband had yet to show. Grabbing a trash bag, she began to toss things into the bag and frowned. This wasn't like him. First not to come home for his own daughter's birthday, and then not to call?

She sat back down on the couch and growled in annoyance. That man was going to have a long night of explaining to do when he got back.

~ø~

Lloyd sighed as he left the shop and tucked the small bear into his coat pocket; starting on down the road,

_'I'd better go straight home...before I do any more damage!'_

He halted then, his eyes widening as the sound of his heart pounding met his ears.

_ TH-THUMP._

-ø-

_**He was falling in a fog, blood spiralling up from his chest as the bullets collided with his body. **_

_TH-THUMP._

_**His glasses clattered away from him as he fell to the floor, his vision now blurry. From what he could see, there was no a crack in one of the lenses...**_

_ TH-THUMP._

-ø-

He staggered and fell into the wall, his eyes locked onto the ground as his legs grew weak. He trembled, his voice a soft whisper as he felt his throat constrict with fear,

"N-No... P-please, no..."

He jumped as his phone suddenly rang and with a shaky hand, he pulled it from his pocket. He answered it cautiously,

"...Hello?"

**"Inspector Lloyd? Check your caller ID and you'll see I'm making this call on your partner's phone..."**

His eyes widened and he glanced down at it briefly. It was Sven's phone all right, but that wasn't Sven talking.

"Who are you? And what did you do with Sven?"

**"Come to the warehouse and you'll find out. I think you know which one,**_** Inspector**_**..."**

_CLICK._

He pulled his hand away as the dial tone met his ear and stared down at the phone in silence.

Swallowing hard, he searched through his phone book and stopped upon reaching his house number. He took a deep breath. He knew he should call her...but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

He couldn't say goodbye to her.

He turned off his phone and started back down the road in the opposite direction...

~ø~

Parking by the fence outside of the warehouse complex, Jeremiah stepped out of his car and cautiously slipped through the gate. He had to see this through; had to know that Vollfied was assuredly out of the picture for good. Then, he could deal with his adulterous wife.

Sneaking in through a hidden side entrance, he ducked behind a crate and glanced around. Toward the centre of the warehouse, he saw the lime-haired man handcuffed to a metal support beam. At this, he frowned,

_'Those idiots...why haven't they killed him, yet?'_

The front door slid open then and he jumped, crouching down further as he heard a shout,

"Sven!"

His eyes widened. He knew that voice. That was Lloyd Goldwynne's voice. He watched, horrified as the bespectacled man ran to his partner and knelt down, using his key to free him from the handcuffs. Sven swore at him, a tinge of panic in his voice,

"It's a trap! Are you trying to get us _both_ killed!"

"Keep your voice down," Lloyd whispered harshly back as the handcuffs clicked open.

They both stopped as booming laughter echoed through the room, and Jeremiah looked to the doorway again, cursing softly. It was Vasquez.

"Oh, this is priceless! It's good to know we can still depend on IBI agents to be as sentimental as they are _stupid_," he began, running his hand calmly over his slicked-back hair, "Don't you know how this works by now? We lure you here...then we _kill _you!"

Jeremiah swallowed hard, glancing back at the two agents. They were sitting ducks. If he could just get Lloyd's attention, he could get him out of there...but that would mean saving Vollfied's life as well. He bit his lip, his body beginning to shake with fear. Maybe it would be all right. Lloyd had the vision eye after all. If he looked ahead, he could see what these men were planning and he could easily evade their attacks. That was right. He sighed in relief. It would all turn out fine, he was sure of it.

"Sven, where's your gun?"

Lloyd whispered as the blonde idiot kept blabbering. Sven cursed, wincing as his hair brushed the wound on his eye,

"He's got it."

Quietly, Lloyd reached back and slipped the lime-haired man his pistol,

"Take mine."

Sven glanced back at him, his eye wide as he raised an eyebrow curiously,

"Lloyd...?"

"In a minute, there's going to be an opening," Lloyd began, a bead of sweat trailing down his cheek,

"When you see your chance, take it. Don't think...just shoot."

He set the firmly gun in his partner's hand,

"Got it?"

The blonde-haired man let out a laugh and aimed for the two men, his shouts echoing throughout the warehouse,

"Time's up! Now you DIE!"

Sven's eye widened as, at the last second, Lloyd leapt out from beside him,

"LLOYD!"

Jeremiah's mouth fell open in horror as six bullets collided with the bespectacled man's body. He watched, paralyzed, as the man dropped to the floor, blood pooling around him. Sven leapt up as the man fell to the side, an anguished cry escaping him as he let off the entire round into the Bernado crew. Clamping a hand over his mouth, he quickly dashed back out of the hidden side entrance and rushed to his car; doubling over as he felt the contents of his stomach rushing up through his throat.

What had he done? He felt his body growing cold. It wasn't supposed to be this way. Vollfied was the one who was meant to die, not Goldwynne! He hadn't wanted this. He felt sick as he climbed into his car, his skin pale and his insides shaking. An innocent man was dead. He pressed his forehead to the steering wheel, his sapphire eyes growing void. He had hired those men to kill Vollfied, and instead, they'd taken a loving father and husband away from his family. _Forever._ Again, he felt sick.

He had done all of this for a chance at obtaining the vision eye. Now, he had ruined those chances. He had wanted Goldwynne as a _partner_,not as a corpse. The foreseeing power of the vision eye was lost. He straightened then, his heart stopping as he remembered that day in the hospital. He had followed Vollfied after the lime-haired man's rendezvous with Sarah. He'd gotten a cup of coffee, then gone back to the waiting room where Goldwynne...

_'"Organ donation? You planning on dying soon?"'_

That was right. Goldwynne had registered as an organ donor that day. His eyes lit up with a strange fire and he started the car. There was still a chance. If he could find someone who needed an eye transplant...

He frowned, remembering the wound on Vollfied's face. It was likely _he_ would need one, but he didn't want _that_ man as a partner. He wanted nothing to do with him. Perhaps someone closer to him would be better suited for the role? But who...?

He drove away silently, the black Mercedes disappearing in the shadows...

~ø~

William sighed deeply as he carefully climbed into his car. He still felt sore from the explosion, but this was nothing compared to how he'd felt a few days ago. Back then, the pain was so terrible he'd thought he was going to die. Sighing, he started the car, his radio kicking on immediately.

**"Officer down! Need ambulance at St. George Harbour, Warehouse 113. Repeat! Officer down! Need ambulance..."**

The man's eyes widened as he recognised the distressed voice blaring over the speaker, and he swallowed hard, quickly starting his car,

"Sven...?"

~ø~

"...at St. George Harbour...Warehouse...113."

The lime-haired man cursed as his strength left him and he dropped his phone. In his other hand, he held tight to a small, plush bear. He glanced back down at the body of his partner; his vision beginning to blacken. His world began to spin as he fell back onto the cold concrete, eyes now locked on the man's broken glasses,

"Lloyd..."

His eyelid fluttered shut as he lost consciousness...

~ø~

Jeremiah turned off his headlights as he pulled up in front of the brick house; his eyes narrowing. Taking a swig from the bottle of scotch in his hand, he wiped his mouth and closed his eyes. He had to do this. He couldn't let that vision eye go to waste. Stepping out of the car, he smashed the bottle against the door. A good portion was left of it and it ended in a jagged tip. He clenched his fist, marching up the front walk to the porch. Once he did this...there would be no turning back.

Unlocking the front door, he stepped inside, immediately spotting Merrick playing on the floor a few feet before him. The boy turned from his truck and smiled up at his father,

"Daddy!"

He remained silent as he stared down at the boy, his throat growing hard. The boy frowned up at him, confused,

"What is it? Daddy, what's wrong?"

He raised the bottle over his head, Merrick's eyes widening as he brought it straight down on the left half of his face...

~ø~

Sarah straightened as she heard Merrick's scream from the laundry room and threw down the shirt in her hand. She tore through the house like mad, her heart racing in terror. Nothing should ever make her little boy scream like that. As she reached the living room she gasped, covering her mouth in fright. Her husband stood over their son, a broken bottle of scotch in his hand. It dripped with fresh blood; blood from the gash that now marred the little boy's face.

He began to reach for the child and she shrieked, rushing forward,

"Stop it! Don't you touch him!"

Sarah reached down and scooped the injured boy up into her arms, cradling him carefully. He trembled in her arms, whimpering in pain. Shaking her head, she started for the door,

"What...what is _wrong_ with you!"

"What's wrong with me?"

He whispered softly as he watched her run toward the front door. He grew angry; his body beginning to quake as the image of Sven Vollfied entered his mind. She was going to him, there was no doubt about it. She was leaving him...and stealing their son away, to boot,

"What? Are you running to _him_ again? Running back to that little _twerp_?"

"No," she said sternly; grabbing her purse and keys,

"I'm taking Merry to the hospital. And I'm calling the police-!"

He stepped forward and grabbed her by her hair; throwing her backward to the floor. She let out a scream, making sure Merrick was safe in her arms as she hit the ground. Trying to push herself up while still protecting him, she let out another scream as something hard and solid slammed her into the back of the head.

"He won't help you, you know. He _can't_. He's dead."

She groaned as she glanced back at him, her voice wavering with pain as he head throbbed,

"What...what did you do?"

He glared down at her with a crazed smile, his eyes more wild than she had ever seen them,

"I took care of him...there's no way he'll ever come between us, now."

He raised the broken bottle over his head again and her eyes widened. She turned away as he brought it down...

_"It's all right! It's all right! It's all right!"_

~ø~

Susan straightened upon hearing the distant sound of a scream and glanced out of her window at the neighbour's house. For the next few minutes, she heard nothing. It was eeriely quiet. Then suddenly, Jeremiah burst out of the house and tore down the walk to his car. There was a broken bottle in his hand. It dripped red from it's jagged tip. She waited for him to drive off, then hurried across the lawn. Upon reaching the front door she gasped in horror; her eyes wide. Lying a few feet inside the house were the unconscious figures of a woman with long, brown hair and her small son. The back of the woman's head was broken open and covered in blood, and she held the boy protectively underneath her,

"Sarah!"

~ø~

William skidded to a stop just outside of Warehouse 113 and jumped out of his car; tearing inside. An ambulance pulled up a few moments later, it's lights flashing and sirens blaring. He came to a stop upon reaching the doorway; seeing the unconscious gang members first. His eyes then fell upon the body of Lloyd Goldwynne; six bullets buried in him as he lay still in a pool of his own blood. A few feet away from him lay the unconscious form of the lime-haired man who had made the desperate call just 20 minutes prior. William straightened and ran for them quickly,

"Sven!"

_**"Lloyd was already gone by the time I had gotten there...and Sven was hanging by a thread."**_

~ø~

Susan frowned as she stood in the waiting room, bouncing Jessica in her arms. She paced back and forth, her heart racing. This had been such a crazy night. She wished Lloyd would pick up his phone. She'd call him five times already, and not one had gone through. They all went straight to voice mail. Jessica let out an aggravated coo, and the woman calmly shushed her, rubbing her small back soothingly,

"It's all right, sweet heart. It's all right. Daddy will be here soon."

A moment later, the doors to the E.R burst open and a team of EMTS rushed in surrounding a man on a stretcher. She watched them, wide eyed as they flashed by her. The man on the stretcher had lime-green hair. Behind the team, a man with slick, black hair stood, his eyes filling with tears as he looked up and saw her. She mouthed to him, frowning deeply,

"William?"

Walking over to her, he gently touched her arm and opened his mouth to speak. No words came out. She shook her head and glanced up as another stretcher rolled in. The person was completely covered, but from under the sheet, she could see a man's left hand peeking out. On that hand was a gold band; a wedding ring. She glanced up at William, and took a few steps back, shaking her head as the stretcher went by. She knew who it was on that stretcher, no one needed to tell her.

Hitting the wall, she let out a wailing sob and held her daughter tightly, William rushing forward to catch her as she sunk,

"No! _Please_, no!"

Jessica began sobbing as well, screaming in her mother's arms. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think. Her tears just continued to fall.

_ "LLOYD!"_

~ø~

_**One Week Later...**_

"This...he wanted Jessica to have this."

The lime-haired man handed her a small, stuffed bear, to which she laughed, her voice wavering with grief,

"It's cute."

Susan held the toy to her heart, running her fingers over it slowly. She then looked up at him, her heart constricting at the sight of the bandages on his face,

"I...was so angry when he didn't show up...I had no idea..."

She trailed off and he bowed his head; letting out a deep sigh,

"So, where's Jessica?"

"My mother came down from Castoral City. She'll be staying with us until the funeral's over."

"Oh," Sven straightened, raising an eyebrow,

"Sarah couldn't watch her?"

The blonde-haired woman stopped, and bowed her head; biting her lip,

"I...I meant to tell you..."

He frowned, confused.

"Sarah...she and Merrick were attacked...the night Lloyd was killed. Her husband snapped...Merrick nearly died..."

"And Sarah," he whispered, choking on his voice.

Susan hiccupped, wiping her eyes as they filled with tears again,

"They're taking her off life support today..."

His eye widened.

~ø~

They now stood outside of another hospital room, Susan entering carefully. Inside, a little boy sat up in his bed, staring blankly at his sheets. The left half of his face was bandaged. She offered the child a warm smile and sat down in the chair beside him,

"Hello, sweetheart! How are you feeling?"

His voice was soft and devoid of happiness as he shrugged,

"Tired..."

Sven edged into the doorway, gazing at the child with a sad look in his eye. Susan handed him one of his trucks, which he had trouble finding, but he took it silently; rolling it slightly in his lap. The blonde-haired woman shook her head as she gently ran a hand through his soft brown hair, her voice soft and sad,

"He doesn't remember anything...from before the accident."

The lime-haired man straightened as she turned to him, tears in her eyes,

"I've shown him pictures...of our family, of Lloyd...even of his own mother. He doesn't recognise any of them. Not even her."

Sven swallowed hard. The boy...there was something lost in his expression,

"Will he ever...?"

"The doctors are optimistic...they said it's likely the memories have just been repressed. It'll be a while before they know for sure."

She smiled, tears hitting her eyes,

"I've told him all about them, though...I'm hoping...it'll make it easier for him to remember one day."

The lime-haired man nodded at this; coughing harshly to clear his throat,

"Let's hope so..."

The boy straightened, his eye completely blank as he looked to the woman,

"So...is Mr. Lloyd okay?"

Sven frowned at this and the blonde-haired woman sighed, biting her lip,

"He asks this...everytime he hears Lloyd's named mentioned. It's like...he just can't remember."

Susan shook her head as she turned back to the boy and lightly patted his hand; tears filling her eyes,

"No...no he's not."

She glanced back at Sven and swallowed hard,

"Mr. Lloyd...he's...he's in heaven, now."

"Heaven?"

She nodded, clearing her throat,

"Yes, sweetie. Heaven. With the angels..."

He stayed silent for a moment; glancing back and forth between her and the man in the doorway.

Bowing his head, as if in deep thought, the boy frowned,

"I want Mommy."

Susan straightened at that, her eyes wide. With as many times as he had asked about Lloyd, not once had he said anything about his mother. There was a strange flicker in his eyes as he repeated himself,

"I want...Mommy."

She opened her mouth to say something; but no words came out.

"Then we'll go see her."

She turned as Sven spoke out from behind her and stepped a little ways into the room. The boy glanced up at him, obviously confused as to who he was. The lime-haired man offered him a sorrowful smile and glanced briefly over at Susan, then back to him,

"C'mon...let's go see Mommy."

~ø~

They were already unhooking her as they arrived and Susan straightened, hurrying into the room behind the doctors. Sven stayed outside with the boy, who was seated in a wheelchair, and he glanced down at him. The boy was completely in a daze. In this state, he was sure the child would never remember what was happening today. After a few moments, the doctors took their leave and Susan stepped out, taking hold of the boy's wheelchair. She glanced up at Sven, tears glinting down her cheeks,

"They said...it will only take a few minutes before she..."

She bit her lip and quickly wheeled the boy into the room. Sven watched from the window as the boy climbed out of the chair and up onto the bed beside the bed-ridden woman. Her head was wrapped in bandages, and the tubes, now disconnected from the life support system, remained in place. Her heart monitor was the only machine left to unhook. The tiny boy reached out and curiously touched her face.

At first, his face was blank. Susan swallowed hard. He had no idea who she was, after all. She clamped a hand over her mouth; stifling a sob. It was so unfair.

He then perked up strangely, a bright smile hit his face as he pulled her cheeks upward,

"Mommy!"

She made no response. Laughing happily, he continued to play with her face; bouncing slightly in his spot as all of his memories of her seemed to flood into him,

"_Mommy_!"

When she still did not stir, the boy pouted. He took to gently shaking her,

"Mommy?"

He continued to shake her, his tiny voice becoming more pitiful with every passing moment,

"Mommy? Mommy, what's wrong? Why won't you wake up?"

Susan let out a sob at that, quickly biting her tongue. The little boy raised an eyebrow, confused as tears hit his eyes,

"Mommy? Momm-"

_**BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.**_

~ø~

Sven sat in the hall outside of Sarah's hospital room, listening to the steady tone of her heart monitor with his head buried in his arms. He squeezed his eyes shut, tears streaming down his cheek,

_'"Well, if I do, I know just who to call, Mr. Gentleman."'_

_**He sobbed.**_

~ø~_**PRESENT DAY**_~ø~

William shut the yearbook quietly and wiped his eyes; taking a deep breath. Reaching over, he pulled open the bottom left drawer of his desk and stopped. Apparently, the former chief had forgotten to completely clear out the desk before he had left. Staring up at him was Sven's badge. He swallowed hard.

_"Not guilty."_

_ -_ø_-_

_ Sven jumped up from his seat in the back of the courtroom, his solitary, brown eye wide in shock and anger,_

_"Not...guilty? You're shitting me, right!"_

_He stormed up the aisle, the blonde-haired woman toward the front covering her four-year-old girl's ears as he continued to shout,_

_"I was __**there**__! I saw it ALL. These bastards...you know what they did ,right! You have to! They lured him to that warehouse! They wanted to kill us both! You've got to be shitting me if you think they're innocent!"_

_ The judge glared at him angrily; shouting over him with a booming voice,_

_"Mr. Vollfied! I won't tolerate any outbursts in my courtroom-"_

_"Courtroom! CIRCUS is more like it!"_

_"Mr. Vollfied-"_

_"Don't 'Mr. Vollfied' me! Somebody paid you off, didn't they! I bet I know who it was, too...it was Bernado, right! Fattening you up so you'd let his toadies off the hook!"_

_William stood from his seat then, and grabbed Sven's shoulder,_

_"Sven, come off it now. He'll have you placed in contempt-"_

_"LET HIM DO IT THEN!"_

_ He shoved the black-haired man away from him and hopped over the railing, rushing toward the judge. Reaching over the podium, he grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt and glared him in the eye; a deadly tone in his voice,_

_"If you think I'm gonna let you get away with this...if you think I'm just gonna stand by and watch them go free...then you've got another thing coming...!"_

_ He let out a yell as the security guards grabbed him suddenly, yanking him away from the judge as they placed him in handcuffs. They shoved him toward the side exit, yet all the while, he continued screaming,_

_"I won't let you! I won't let you get away with this! THOSE BASTARDS KILLED HIM! THEY KILLED MY PARTNER! LLOYD IS __**DEAD **__BECAUSE OF THEM!"_

_William turned as he heard a stifled sob and watched Susan stand. Guiding Jessica by the hand, she hurried out of the courtroom and disappeared into the lobby._

_ -_ø_-_

**After the trial, I worried for his mental state. The look in his eyes when the judge gave his verdict...I had never seen it before. Something had died within him.**

ø~

William sighed as he pulled his coat on and exited the room, waving to the few officers left in the building,

"Goodnight, Rogers."

"Goodnight, sir. Have a safe trip home."

He sighed deeply.

_'Shortly afterward...they tried to give him a new partner. I suppose the chief thought it would help him if he worked with someone new. He had been working alone for nearly two whole years after Lloyd's death...the plan backfired though.'_

He remembered the moment that Sven had come out of the chief's office, a dead expression on his face.

_-_ø_-_

_The man shoved his hands in his pockets, refusing to look up at anyone as the black fedora atop his head cast a dark shadow over his eyes. The chief had called after him, a pleading tone in his tired voice,_

_'"Vollfied!"'_

_Sven had not looked back. Not even once. _

_They had lost the best investigator the IBI had ever had on that day..._

_ -_ø_-_

William sighed as he sat down in his car, and shook his head,

_'I worried about him a long time after that. Wondered what might have become of him. He'd looked so desperate in those last few days...I had no idea what to expect. But...on that day, five years ago.'_

_ -_ø_-_

_"Yo, William!"_

** I was surprised to see him there. I hadn't expected a former colleague to show up at the house of a famous scientist.**

_ "It's been a long time."_

_The lime-haired man smiled at him fondly. He was no longer dressed in his tan, detective's coat and black fedora, and he had finally left behind the look of complete and total loss. Something was different about this man; and it wasn't just the new, cream-coloured suit and stubble he sported. His disposition...he seemed geniuenly happy. A little girl with blonde hair ran up behind him then, calling his name in her tiny voice,_

_"Sven! Train said he wants to talk to you about something-." _

_ She stopped upon seeing him and took hold of his jacket, stepping closer to him. She clung to him like a daughter would her father. His eyes widened._

**I knew instantly what had changed in him.**

_"Don't worry, Eve. This is an old friend of mine. He and I go way back. This is William."_

_"Way back?"_

_She bit her lip and stepped away from Sven then. Holding out her hand, she swallowed hard and offered a smile,_

_"It's nice to meet you, then...William."_

_Reaching out, he took the girl's hand and smiled, giving it a firm shake,_

_"And it's nice to meet you...Eve."_

_The little blonde smiled._

_ -_ø_-_

**When he disappeared a year later...I made sure I was the first to the scene.**

_He stood in the centre of the alleyway, his eyes wide as they settled upon a tiny girl with short blonde hair. He recognised her as the girl from Tearju Lunatique's house. She was wailing horrifically, her eyes red and puffy as she sobbed. A man with chestnut-hair held her as she cried, a torn up expression on his face. He'd recognised this man as the sweeper who Sven had become partners with..._

**A call came down from the main headquarters just one year later...calling off the search entirely. Apparently, we'd exhausted all of our funds on the case, or so they told me. **

_ -_ø_-_

"I couldn't help them...and I couldn't help you, either."

He bit his lip as he rested his forehead on the steering wheel, his hands gripping said wheel tightly,

"I'm sorry..."

~ø~

_**'"I'm so sorry I let you down, Sven."'**_

* * *

**A/N: Next chapter is back to the main plot! Phew~ That was a doozy of a side story. -3-;**


	55. XLVI

**A/N: Sorry for the wait! The 'Sarah' chapters burned me out a little bit...as did the prospect of the upcoming fight scenes.  
**

**I hate writing fight scenes...  
**

* * *

**XLVI**

Closing his eyes lightly, he sighed; a heavy feeling settling upon him as he donned the long black coat. That feeling; the weight of the entire world being thrust upon his shoulders...it was back. The chestnut-haired man bowed his head; gazing down at the ornate pistol in his hand. His golden eyes narrowed.

"You're really going through with it?"

He turned slightly, glancing back at the lavender-haired woman in silence. She was scowling at him.

He let out a sigh, bowing his head,

"It's none of your business what I do. Now, butt out-"

"If you kill that guy, there's no going back, don't you get that? Everything you worked so hard for; this great life you've got, now...? Creed couldn't take it from you, so why are you letting _him_?"

Train silenced, turning away from her,

"This isn't just about_ me_, anymore, Rinslet. _He _didn't just take away _my_ life-"

"So, you're making this about Eve and Sven? That's_ great_, Train! Why don't you walk right in there and tell them that? They'll be so happy to know how much you _care_..."

He ground his teeth together at that, Hades trembling at his side,

"I can't...I can't overlook what he did...and taking him in as a sweeper...it won't be enough-!"

"So, you'll kill him, _instead_! Doing that won't change anything, Train. It won't bring Sven back!"

She screamed; her eyes welling with tears as she bowed her head,

"I'm angry, too...don't you think I want justice for him? But killing Jonas Warren is _not_ the answer...and somewhere, deep down, you _know_ that...! Don't you...?"

At that moment, the sound of a car pulling up in front of the cafe could be heard, and Train sighed deeply,

"My decision is final. I'll be going back to the compound as the Black Cat; end of story. As of today...Train Heartnet the sweeper is dead."

Rinslet straightened at the sharpness of his words. They were so cold and precise; nothing like the Train she knew. She wanted to say something, _anything_ to get him to stop...but she couldn't. Nothing she said would change what had happened.

In the end, nothing would change the fact that Sven was gone and Eve was left without the most important person in her life.

~ø~

Eve sat beside the cot, both her hands wrapped around Sven's. His hand felt thin and bony in her grasp; and it was as cold, if not colder, than the ice cream they used to share. She smiled, laughing a little as she remembered back on it; the first time they'd met.

_'"What? You've never had ice cream before? You're a weird kid..."'_

After that, he'd introduced her to all sorts of things, expanding her world beyond that of being an engineered weapon and the simplicity of ice cream. He'd taught her that it was okay to be scared and also taught her to stand up for her beliefs. He'd shown her friendship; love. He'd taught her to be human.

She gazed down at him fondly, her smile beginning to fade,

"What should I do? Sven, tell me...what should I do?"

He made no response.

Gently, she squeezed his hand, biting her lip as she bowed her head.

_'"Just go, Eve. Get Sven out of here...and don't come back. Don't __**ever **__come back."'_

Her heart fluttered. If she did what he told her to, if she left him there, he would wind up just like Sven. He would _die_. Using Merrick's vision eye, Jonas Warren would hurt millions of innocent people; ruin countless lives. He had to be stopped. She took a deep breath, looking back to the unconscious man with teary eyes,

"You...you wouldn't want me to sit here crying over you...would you?"

She squeezed his hand again; smiling through her tears,

"Thank you..."

~ø~

As he reached for the door, a voice called out from behind him; sounding stronger than it had in the day previous,

"Where are you going?"

Train turned slightly, seeing Eve standing by the kitchen door. She wore a black, sleeveless turtleneck and a pleated, denim skirt trimmed with white lace. A golden cross sat upon her chest and she wore black leather hand guards with a matching pouch strapped to her upper arm. An olive-green pouch trimmed with black rested on her hip. Encasing her slender legs were long, black socks that stopped at her thighs and on her feet were a pair of tan, suede boots. Her knee-length hair was tied at the bottom in a thick, black bow.

She frowned at him, seeing that he was wearing an all-black trench coat, and repeated herself sternly,

"Where are you going?"

"...you already know the answer to that."

Eve scowled, clenching her fists tightly at her sides,

"Are you going to kill him?"

Train silenced a moment, then sighed,

"_Princess_-"

"What would _Saya_ say to you?"

He stopped at that, his eyes wide in surprise. The ruby-eyed girl continued to stare at him,

"I know what she would say. She wouldn't want you to throw away your life like this. And neither would Sven."

"But-"

"But what," she interrupted him, frowning,

"It's true. Neither of them...neither of them would want you to throw everything away for such a foolish reason."

"Foolish-!"

"Yes," she shot back, eyes narrowing at him,

"_Foolish._ Revenge is _never _the answer, Train. It won't make things better!"

He bowed his head as he spotted the tears in her eyes. Her strength, however, did not waver,

"Saya and Sven...they wouldn't want you to do this," she began, turning her gaze to his golden eyes,

"And neither do I!"

They both silenced; Rinslet glancing back and forth between them nervously. With a sigh, Train turned back for the door,

"Sorry, Princess...but I already made my choice."

The girl gasped as he opened the door and started to leave; calling behind him frantically,

"Train...!"

What happened next startled them both...

~ø~

_"Maggie! Maggie!"_

_ -_ø-

_The 10-year-old boy burst through the door excitedly, shouting all throughout the house,_

_"Maggie! Where are you!"_

_"Hold on, hold on! What's all the commotion for?"_

_He giggled as she came into the room, running to her quickly. He threw his arms around her, bouncing up and down,_

_"I remember! I remember, Maggie! I remember!"_

_"Remember? Remember, what child?"_

_ He pulled her over to the couch and hopped up on the cushion, tossing off his backpack. Rummaging through it, he pulled out a sketch pad. Scrawled on the top most sheet was a small house with a family of three, and overtop of the house, he had written __**'Goldwynne' **__in bold, green letters,_

_"The family that used to live next door to me when I was little! I remember them, now!"_

_She took the page and he scooted close to her, pointing to each person,_

_"That's Mr. Lloyd! And his wife, Mrs. Susan! And they had a little girl!" _

_"Do you remember her name?"_

_ The boy stopped at that, and scowled, squeezing his eyes shut as he groaned. Then sighing, he opened his eyes and shook his head,_

_"No."_

_Maggie smiled at him, patting him softly on the head,_

_"Well, I'm sure it will come to you."_

_She raised an eyebrow at the next page in his sketch pad, and frowned,_

_"Oh? Is this someone else you remember?"_

_ He glanced down at the page, spotting a stick figure of a person with green hair and a brown coat. He stared at it a minute. He had drawn the man with green hair standing by a black car. The boy frowned thinking hard as he idly touched the wing pendant around his neck._

_**'"I got you a present."'**_

_Frustrated, the boy shook his head,_

_"No, I just made him up."_

_ Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Maggie stood, hurrying to answer it._

_The boy frowned and leaned back to try and see who was there. It was a man with sleek, raven hair wearing a black suit and sunglasses. The man handed Maggie an envelope, and glanced passed her briefly. Maggie noticed this and ushered the man outside, turning back to the boy with a warm smile,_

_"I'll be back in just a minute, dear."_

_The boy pouted as she shut the door behind her and slumped on the sofa. He picked up his sketch pad; turning his attention back to the doodle of the man with green hair..._

_ -_ø-

Merrick jumped as he felt something wet hit his face and he jumped, pushing up and away from the bed. His hair hung down around his face and he swallowed hard, gasping for air. A cackle reverberated throughout the small room, and he glanced to his right, spotting Warren standing by the door with an empty bucket in hand,

"It's time you got up. You've been asleep almost a whole day."

The boy snarled at him; pulling his wet hair out of his face as he turned his eyes away from the man. Warren smirked at that,

"You used to lay on your stomach all the time when you were little. Part of me worried you would suffocate that way..."

Merrick continued to stare at the bed, rage boiling up within him as Warren went on.

"I see you've taken creative liberties with your body. I don't remember you having a mural on your back when you were small. Tell me...who is that supposed to be, anyway? That fool Margaret-"

"It's _Mom_."

Merrick said shortly, cutting him off. His expression grew dark,

"You made me forget her once already...so the moment I was old enough, I had her inked to me permanently, so that no one could _ever_ take her away again."

Warren snickered at that, sighing deeply,

"Then, you should have replaced her wings with a set of horns, _boy_. That woman was no angel-"

Grabbing the IV stand beside the bed, Merrick lifted it from the floor and hurled it full force at the man; who easily cut it in half with a bladed hand. The boy snarled at him, his eyes burning with hate,

"Shut _UP_! You're the _demon_ around here!"

Narrowing his eyes, Warren unnaturally extended his arm and wrapped it around the boy's neck, yanking him close as he lifted him into the air. The boy let out a gasp and clawed at the man's grey tendril; his eyes wide. Warren snarled,

"You should watch your temper. You don't want to end up like Vollfied, do you?"

The boy frowned in confusion, coughing as he felt the tendril tightening on his throat,

"Won't it... happen, anyway? The more you use...my vision eye, the weaker I'm gonna get, right?"

The raven-haired man was silent for a moment.

"No."

Merrick straightened, his eyes widening in shock,  
"N-No...?"

"What I did to Vollfied," Warren began, a crazed look in his eyes,

"Was payback."

"Pay...back?"

"Yes," he said, his pupils growing smaller,

"For stealing your mother away from me."

He promptly dropped the boy then and turned; exiting the room calmly,

"Now, get yourself cleaned up. Dr. Kanzaki will be here momentarily for your next set of tests..."

The door swung shut, and Merrick grabbed for his throat, coughing harshly.

He narrowed his eyes and promptly punched the floor with a clenched fist.

~ø~

_SLAM._

Train flew backward to the floor, the red mark of a fist imprinted on his cheek. He pushed himself up as a voice called from the doorway,

"And we already made _ours_. Don't tell me we came all the way out here for nothin'!"

Eve gasped as a man with spiked, sandy-blonde hair stepped through the threshold and lowered his fist to his side. He wore a black tank top and a pair of khaki pants that snaked down his legs into a pair of worn, black combat boots. He grinned, the triangular earrings dangling from his ears brushing his face as he turned his head,

"First, you let my biggest bounty EVER slip right through your fingers...and now you want to off my_ next _target? If you think I'm gonna let you do that, you got another thing comin', pal!"

Train blinked blankly up at the man, rubbing at his cheek in shock,

"River...?"

"Not _just _him..."

A man with messy, brown hair stepped in behind him, wearing a pair of camoflague pants, a black shirt, and a brown, military vest. Eve straightened upon seeing him,

"Kevin!"

Behind him a woman with cropped, platinum hair and brown eyes stepped in; wearing a tan vest, a white tank top and a pair of black pants,

"We heard you were going after the bastard who hurt your partner...his bounty's $1,000,000,000, right? Well, we're after it, too."

Train glanced back and forth between the three of them, his eyes wide,

"Who...who told you?"

"_I_ did."

In stepped a man with long blonde hair and small, round glasses. He wore a knee-length black coat and matching pants; and a pair of white gloves covered his hands. Train blinked up at him, but remained silent. The blonde man coughed shortly,

"You don't remember me, do you? Black Cat?"

The chestnut-haired man shrugged slightly. He looked awfully familiar, but he just couldn't place him,

"Uh..."

"_Charden_!"

A squeal arose from the back of the room and Kyoko buzzed over to the man; throwing herself onto him. He sighed deeply, patting her lightly on the head,

"Hello, Kyoko."

"It's been forever since I've seen you! So, you got my texts! What about the candy! And the flowers!"

"Yes, yes...every single one."

"Oh, I know," the chestnut-haired man said thoughtfully,

"That funny hat you used to wear. It's missing. Where'd it go, anyway?"

Charden coughed again, a bead of sweat trailing down his cheek as he remembered how he had encountered an unusually strong wind while standing upon a tall building. His hat had flown off, and he had nearly fallen trying to get it back before it disappeared completely. It had fallen down to the road, where it was completely crushed by a semi on it's way to the next truck stop.

"I'd rather not talk about it," he said simply.

Silphy stepped in a little further and walked over to Eve, sighing deeply,

"So...is it true? Did you really find him?"

The ruby-eyed girl straightened at her query and nodded shortly,

"Yes..."

"Is it okay if I see him," the woman swallowed hard, seeming a bit nervous,

"I heard...he wasn't doing well."

Eve smiled,

"Sure."

Silphy sighed at that, following the girl into the back room.

River frowned then, turning back to Train,

"So, is what this guy said true? You really planning on killing that bastard?"

Train swallowed hard and bowed his head,

"Yeah. I am."

Kyoko bit her lip as she gazed down at the broken man before her and Charden narrowed his eyes.

River sighed deeply; noting the determined look in the man's eyes,

"I see...well, then...I guess we'll just have to make a race out of it."

"A race?"

The sandy-haired man grinned,

"Yeah. I bet you his bounty that I can reach him before you can! And I'll make damn sure you don't kill the douchebag after I get to him. They up the bounty by $50,000 if he's brought in alive, you know...maybe more considering the damage he's done."

He extended a hand to the chestnut-haired man, and grinned,

"Well, whaddya say, pal? We got a deal here?"

Rinslet glanced back and forth between them. She swallowed hard. A bet like this to race for a bounty...that was something the old Train would accept. This new Train...this murderous one...he might not be so keen on a challenge like this.

"If you get in my way, you'll regret it, Thunderhead."

The chestnut-haired man said quietly, smacking the man's hand away. He turned for the door,

"Don't think I'll go easy on you just because we were allies five years ago. If you try to stop me, I _will_ end you."

River shrugged, folding his arms across his chest,

"We'll see about that...when I'm claiming that bounty for myself."

Train snorted at that and shook his head,

"Like _that_ will ever happen."

Rinslet straightened and blinked, silently watching him leave. She then turned to River, a look of shock on her face,

"And you're just gonna let him go! What's the matter with you! Why did you egg him on!"

"Because," the sandy-haired man sighed, scratching his head,

"The more you tell him not to do something, the more he's gonna want to do it. Now, that he know I'm racing him for Warren's bounty, there's no way he'll go through with killing him-"

"You don't know that! How can you possibly know that!"

River smirked, glancing toward the door,

"Didn't you hear what he said before he left?"

Rinslet frowned in thought, bowing her head,

_'"Don't think I'll go easy on you just because we were allies five years ago. If you try to stop me, I will end you."'_

She straightened. For a brief moment there, he _had_ sounded like himself again; he had sounded like Train the sweeper.

"All I had to do was plant a seed. Don't worry, he'll be back to his normal self in no time," the sandy-haired man started,

"Besides, there's no way any of us are going to let him go back down that road."

Kevin nodded shortly; as did Charden. Kyoko let out a reassuring grunt,

"Yeah, there's no way I'm gonna let Mister Black go back on his promises. No. Way."

Rinslet sighed deeply, placing a hand on her heart,

"I hope your right. I mean, Eve couldn't even get through to him just a minute ago. I think it'll take a lot more than just a seed to get his head out of his ass..."

She glanced toward the back room, a sorrowful expression on her face as she spotted Silphy and Eve at Sven's bedside,

"Honestly...I think it'll take a miracle to get him back."

~ø~

Train stepped toward the black vehicle and scowled as the doors swung open, Sephiria stepping out,

"Heartnet. I want to warn you that should you proceed with us, there will be no going back. You will belong to Chronos once again, you _and_ Hades..."

"I understand," he stated coldly.

"Very well," Sephiria began, a sad sigh escaping her lips,

"Then, let us depart. But first, let me introduce you to our team..."

Out from the car stepped three other people, two of whom he recognised. One was Li. The other was a bald man with a goatee; Number V, Nizer Bruckheimer. The third person was a tall man with tan skin and red-brown eyes heavy lined with what appeared to be eyeliner. His shoulder-length black hair was brushed back; a strand of two falling in front of his eyes. The number VI was clearly visible; etched into his skin above his left eye.

"This is Amon Asar; codename 'Anubis'. He acts as International Ambassador for Chronos and has become one of our strongest agents since your departure, Black Cat."

Amon stepped forward and extended a hand to the chestnut-haired man,

"Your name precedes you, Black Cat. I have been looking forward to meeting you."

* * *

**A/N: Before anyone says anything, I'm well aware that Anubis was a talking dog in the anime. I thought it was stupid, though, so now he's a man. 83**


	56. XLVII

XLVII

Train stepped out from the shadows of the forest; his eyes narrowed to golden slits as they settled on a pair of men standing in the clearing.

_'"Many of our number have defected to his side, Heartnet..."'_

_-ø-_

_ He frowned as he turned to Sephiria; a scowl on his face,_

_"The small group you see here...we are all that is left of the old order. Everyone else has joined Jonas Warren on his crusade of tyranny."_

_"It is a miracle that we even have this many," Anubis interjected, sighing deeply,_

_"From what Sephiria has told me, Warren has put a lot of effort into controlling the whole of the numbers. To my knowledge, some of them aren't even aware that the Elders are gone..."_

_ "Then, let's go and get this over with," the chestnut-haired man snapped in aggravation,_

_"We've sat around here long enough-"_

_"Train."_

_He turned slightly as he stepped toward the car, looking back at the cafe with a frown. Eve stood in the doorway, the former members of the Sweeper's Alliance behind her,_

_"You don't have to do this. We can still take him down together, as __**partners**__...like Sven would want."_

_ He sighed deeply and bowed his head,_

_"Since when did you ever consider me a partner, Princess?"_

_The girl straightened at that, her ruby eyes widening as he continued,_

_"I guess now that Sven is gone and your boy toy is out of the picture, I'm your last resort, huh? No thanks. Besides, I don't intend on letting Warren walk out of there alive, and I don't want you to be a part of that."_

_ He opened the door to the passenger's side; his voice low as he continued,_

_"You can have the bounty once I'm through with him. I won't be needing it. Take care of Sven."_

_The other members, excluding Anubis, piled into the car then; Eve shouting after him as they drove away,_

_"Train!"_

_**"Well, well, well...if it isn't our old friend..."**_

_-ø-_

"...Black Cat."

A man with slicked-back brown hair stepped forward, the bubble of coffee-flavoured gum on his lips popping with a loud _smack_. He chuckled as he licked it from his lips, chewing it vigorously as he spoke,

"I'd heard a rumour you'd be coming back...but I never thought it'd be _with_ Chronos. Or should I say..."

He turned his eyes to Sephiria and the others as they stepped out behind him and snarled,

"The _betrayers_."

"We are not the betrayers here, Baldorias," Sephiria began, her voice echoing loud and bold over the quiet of the clearing,

"It is _you_ and the rest of the Numbers who have betrayed Chronos. Affiliating with Warren and killing millions of innocent people-"

"Who said they were _innocent_," Baldor snorted, spitting the gum out onto the grass,

"The way I hear it, those _'innocent people' _were plotting to kill the head of their government; something the Elders gave orders to put a stop to-"

"You know very well that it was not the Elders who gave you those orders," she stated sharply, her eyes narrowing.

Baldor grinned at that, sighing deeply,

"Fine. Either way, the order came down from the head of Chronos. I could give less of a_ shit _whether or not it was the Elders who issued it. Orders are orders, and seeing as you _defectors_ neglected your responsibilties over in Sapidoa, we were forced to take matters into our own hands-"

"By killing those participating in a peaceful protest," Li shouted; readying Seiren,

"And injuring another 50,000 in the surrounding area? I would've hoped you would have looked beyond your upbringing to realise the orders you were given were immoral-"

"_Immoral_," the brown-haired man snickered, his eyes settling on the raven-haired man,

"You're one to talk,_ pretty boy_! Playing up to Warren like you're his right hand man while plotting his downfall with these _chumps _behind his back? How moral is _that_?"

"I will do what is necessary to stop men like Jonas Warren from taking the helm of Chronos and corrupting it beyond repair," Li stated, sending Seiren flying directly at the man,

"If that makes me immoral, then I shall happily consider myself condemned!"

Baldor quickly side-stepped Seiren, sending Heimdall to stop it in it's tracks. The two weapons crashed together and halted in midair, Baldor grinning as he turned to look at Li,

"Well, this is gonna be_ fun_...don't you think, Kranz?"

The helmeted man a few feet to his right remained silent. Baldor smiled, his eyes darting over each one of their enemies as he licked his lips,

"Five against two. Yeah...this'll be_ real fun_. "

~ø~

Eve panted heavily as the group chased through the woods, her eyes narrowed in determination.

_'"Train!"'_

_-ø-_

_ The black car sped away and Eve cursed, darting back inside. Swiping her supplies from the counter, she placed them in her hip pouch and hurried back out the door,_

_"Let's go! Before they get too far ahead!"_

_Jessica straightened as she watched the girl run outside and hurried after her, her mother shouting from behind her,_

_"Jessie!"_

_ "Wait!"_

_Stopping at the curb, Eve straightened and turned to see the brunette in the door way. Jessica swallowed hard, her fists clenched at her sides,_

_"Let me come with you! I want to help!"_

_The blonde frowned, and the short-haired woman, Silphy, stepped toward her,_

_"You're joking, right? This isn't a game, little girl! People are gonna get killed today, and if you come along, one of them could be you!"_

_ Susan stepped up to the doorway behind her daughter, hand on her heart,_

_"Jessie..."_

_"I know that," the girl began,"But I can take care of myself! I just reached black belt in karate! I know my way around a fight! Please, I want to come with you! Let me help!"_

_Anubis frowned at this and stepped toward the girl, a sigh escaping him,_

_"Miss, I was not assigned to your detail just so you could skip off into battle. Going to the compound is not permitted-"_

_ "I'm not asking __**you**__," the girl quipped, turning back to the elder teen with pleading eyes,_

_"I'm asking __**you**__, Eve. Please. That man...he didn't pull the trigger but he let the people who killed my dad walk away, scot-free. And Sven...look what he did to him! You of all people should know where I'm coming from. Please, let me help you...I want to make him pay for what he's done."_

_Eve bowed her head in thought and silenced for a moment. The brown-haired girl bit her lip._

_ "You have one minute."_

_She straightened as Eve stepped out into the street, the sound of ambulance sirens blaring in the distance,_

_"One minute?"_

_"Yes," the girl began, stretching her arms over her head,_

_"To land a punch on me. If you can land a punch on me in one minute, then you can help."_

_-ø-_

The sounds of battle brought her from her thoughts and she gasped, willing herself to go faster as she turned back to the others,

"The fighting's started already! We have to hurry!"

The others nodded and, sprouting wings from her back, the blonde flew on ahead through the trees,

_'Train, I won't let you become the person you were before. I'll stop you, I swear! And I won't...'_

_"Just go Eve...take Sven out of here and don't ever come back."_

She narrowed her eyes, her teeth clenching as she flew faster toward the sounds,

_'...I won't let you die...!'_

~ø~

_'...Merrick!'_

The muddy-haired boy remained silent as the man known as 'Doctor' tightened his restraints. Warren watched from a few feet away; his glasses reflecting the overhead lights. He winced as he felt something sharp pierce the back of his neck and he bit his lip to keep from crying out. The Doctor noted this and grinned, sighing deeply as he attached a tube to the needle he'd just set up,

"I assume by the look on your face that that hurt a little. Don't worry, the needle was only as wide as your index finger..."

The boy closed his eyes at that; quickly growing nauseous. A moment later, he felt a strange fluid entering him through said needle and he swallowed hard; clenching his fists. It was cold, _whatever_ it was.

"What's entering your body are nanomachines," the Doctor immediately said, as if sensing the boy's concerns,

"I specially designed them. They will attach themselves to the base of your brain and work their way through it. Once they find the optic nerve of your vision eye, they will latch on and immediately begin transmitting to the nanomachines within Jeremiah. At this point, he will be able to control your focus..."

"Con..trol?"

"Yes," Warren smirked as he looked to the boy,

"_Control_..."

Merrick's eyes widened as a fire began to burn through his brain and Warren smiled, calmly looking on as the boy tugged wildly at his restraints.

"It will be a few minutes before the machines reach the vision eye," Doctor said softly, turning to Warren with a sigh,

"Shall I go ahead and begin setting up the network?"

"Yes," Warren said coldly, his eyes fixed on the boy's writhing figure,

"I have a feeling I'll be needing to use him very shortly."

"The system is not fully calibrated to him, Jeremiah," the raven-haired man stated, looking to Warren with a slight smirk,

"Should you attempt to utilise the eye before hand, it could deal serious damage to the boy's brain. His mind could be lost."

The man went silent. Gazing up at the boy, he narrowed his eyes,

"It is a risk I am willing to take..."

The boy grunted in pain; his body shaking as he struggled to raise his gaze to meet Warren. A bead of sweat trailed down his cheek. Warren was smiling.

~ø~

_"...for the betterment of this world...I will sacrifice all that is necessary."_

Rinslet frowned as she wrung out the folded cloth and placed it back on Sven's forehead. He was visibly in pain, and while it was a change from before, it was not a _good_ one. It _did _support her feeling that he was not all gone, but if something was wrong in there...

She scowled, taking his hand gently,

"I wish I knew how to reach you, Sven. Train really could have used your fist in his face..."

She pressed the hand to her forehead, letting out a deep sigh,

"You'd better come out of this...if you don't..."

~ø~

_"We could lose him forever..."_

"What's the matter, _Black Cat_! _Rusty_!"

Train leapt over Heimdall as it sailed toward him, angling Hades downward to shoot it away as it came circling up after him. The bullets hit the chain, sending it away from it's intended course, and it flew just to the left of his head. Baldor cursed as Train then aimed for him and quickly brought Heimdall back down, using it as a shield to deflect the bullets as they rained downward. He leapt away, a grin on his face,

"Not one hit yet. You really _have_ gone soft. Tell me...is your _heart _really in this at all?"

Train narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on Hades. Briefly disappearing from Baldor's sight, he reappeared behind the man seconds later. Baldor grinned at this and, clicking the trigger on Heimdall's handle, sent the ball flying around him. It slammed the chestnut-haired man in the side, knocking him away. Propelling himself away from the upcoming ground with the push of his hands, Train flipped himself around; landing on his feet a good distance away.

He wiped the blood from his mouth and cursed, swallowing hard. Baldor was proving to be a big _pain in the ass _this time around.

"Train!"

He glanced behind him at the sound of her voice, but did not seem surprised to see her,

"Princess."

Eve came to a stop a few feet behind him, her breathing laboured from running.

"I thought I told you to take care of Sven-"

"He's got plenty of people to care for him right now. _You_, on the otherhand, look like you could use a _babysitter_."

The chestnut-haired man ignored her comment, growling softly as he heard Jenos voice carry over to him from across the way,

"Ooh, she got you, didn't she!"

The mahogany-haired man grinned as he momentarily looked away from his battle with Kranz. He let out a yelp as he quickly ducked under the man's blade, Mars, and leapt back from him; a grumble escaping his lips,

"It's not nice to sneak up on people like that, you know..."

"Well, then, perhaps you shouldn't look away from what you're doing."

"He's right, Hazard," Li began, Seiren swirling around him in a glitter of colour,

"You need to stay focused."

Jenos narrowed his eyes and groaned at that; slumping a little in annoyance,

"_Yeah_, _yeah_...I hear you."

"Train, you don't have to do this," the girl began, her fists clenched at her sides,

"You don't have to kill Jonas Warren. Sending him to jail will be enough-!"

"No, it won't. Not for me!"

Aiming Hades at Baldor's head, he narrowed his eyes and fired off three shots. Each shot was deflected by Heimdall and, in retaliation, Baldor sent the heavy orichalcum ball sailing straight toward them. Train cursed, shoving Eve away from him and out of Heimdall's trajectory. Unable to leap away in time, it collided with him head on and he grunted, flying backwards through the air into a tree.

Eve gasped as Heimdall then turned and spiralled toward her. Quickly bringing up her hands, she formed a shield and felt it hit with a strong reverberation_. _Glancing over her shoulder, the girl grit her teeth as he rose to his feet, blood dribbling from his lips,

"And why is_ that_! The Train _I_ know wouldn't be like this! He's _better_ than this! He's not a _murderer_!"

His cold stance seemed unchanged as he raised Hades back up and she gasped as Baldor retracted Heimdall. He swung it at his side for a moment, then let it hit the grass and licked his lips.

Train stayed his position, his eyes narrowed to slits. Eve lowered the shield a little, her ruby gaze locked on him,

"Train!"

Standing just a few feet from her, he had never seemed so distant. It was as though he was in a completely different place; some place millions of miles away.

Like a well-oiled machine, he dodged Baldor's next few attacks with perfect precision. He couldn't see beyond the rage he felt. His emotions were a whirlwind of anger and sorrow. He knew that he had to do this; that he could not let Warren get away with taking Sven away from Eve...but she was right.

Why wasn't it enough just to put him behind bars? Make him rot in a solitary hell; a kind similar to the one he had confined Sven to for all those years? Why couldn't he just go in there, as a sweeper, and arrest Jonas Warren for his crimes? Why did he want to kill him so badly?

The image of a man with blonde hair wearing a long, black cloak entered his mind. The man was standing over the figures of a man and a woman lying in a pool of blood.

_That was it._

The image changed then, to one of Warren, cackling madly as Sven lie motionless on the ground before him. He could still hear the way Eve had been sobbing at his bedside after the doctor had determined that he would never recover.

And _that_ was why he had to kill Jonas Warren.

_He had taken Sven away from Eve in the same way Zagiene had taken his parents away from him._

His rage began building again. These people were in his way. In order to kill Warren, he first needed to eradicate the small fry. Eve tensed as the chestnut-haired man disappeared before her eyes; her heart racing madly. She had to find a way to reach him; bring him back from the edge before it was too late.

But how?

~ø~

"I've finished setting up the network, Jeremiah," Kanzaki stated as he finished typing,

"It should only take a few trials to recalibrate it to fit the boy."

A gleam upon his glasses concealed his eyes as he raised his head to look a Warren, a wild smirk on his face,

"We can begin anytime."

"Excellent," Warren's tone was blank as he answered; his eyes fixing solely on Merrick.

The boy, still conscious, was sweating profusely and could hardly hold up his head. His breathing was ragged and laboured; and his skin was as white as a sheet. It mattered not to him.

"What would you like to see first, then?"

Merrick glared down at Warren as he stepped closer, and he swallowed hard. His brain burned, his body ached; he could only imagine what these tests were going to feel like. If only he were as close to death as Sven had been, he thought morbidly. At least he would be free from this hell.

Warren grinned as he gazed up at the boy, a disconnected tone in his voice,

"Show me the death..."

_'__**"...of Sven Vollfied."**__'_

* * *

**A/N: -sigh- I hate fight scenes. I hate hate HATE them. They're so haaaaaaaaard. DX  
Anyhow, sorry for the delay and I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! And sorry if my writing has gotten really shabby, lately. =3=;  
**

**I need to read more books.  
**


	57. XLVIII

**A/N: Sorry for the wait again guys. My goldfish brain...  
**

* * *

**XLVIII**

** - **_**Show me the death of Sven Vollfied**_**. -**

With a deep sigh, a young woman with long, blonde hair solemnly knelt down before a polished, marble tombstone. She set a bouquet of roses, as well as a pack of brand new cigarettes, down at its base. Sitting back with a smile, she rested her hands on her lap,

"I got your favourite brand this time."

She was met with silence.

Inhaling deeply, she tucked her hair behind her ear; her eyes falling to the date on the stone,

"It's been almost a whole year, now. Train didn't believe me when I said it, but you know how _he_ is..."

Breathing a laugh, she rubbed at her arm and shook her head slowly,

"..._stupid._"

A gentle wind breezed through her hair then and she sighed, her eyes begin to glisten,

"I miss you. I miss you an awful lot. Everyone does...even Train when he feels like admitting it."

She touched a hand to his name, tracing over the letters as she bit her lip,

"It wasn't fair...it just wasn't fair..."

_"Mommy!"_

The woman turned at the sound of a young child's voice and smiled; promptly standing as a little girl with brown hair came running toward her. She reached for the girl as she drew closer, her ruby eyes sparkling brightly,

"Sar-"

_**"WHAT?"**_

-ø-_**  
**_

Merrick gasped as he was violently pulled from the vision, his nose dripping with blood as the floor of the lab came back into focus. Warren slammed down his ear piece, his face burning red with fury,

"How...! How could he survive for _that_ long! He's supposed to die! _Today_!"

The muddy-haired boy swallowed hard as he closed his eyes. He could see the image of the woman reaching out for the little girl and he felt a pull at his heart. Had that been Eve? She certainly did _look _like Eve; startlingly_ older _in her appearance, but still like Eve. She_ had _talked about Train and that grave was _definitely_ Sven's. But the little girl...

_'"Mommy!"'_

_'"Sar-"'_

"It can't be right...It can't be right!"

"It looked pretty okay to _me_," the boy murmured under his breath.

A table piled with medical equipment went clattering to the floor as Warren threw it in his rage; and the man cursed, running a hand through his now unkempt hair,

"The vision was wrong. That had to be it. It was warped. Yes..."

He turned to the boy; his eyes narrowed as he jabbed his finger in his direction,

"You're not fully calibrated to the system, yet! That vision was_ false_! Likely influenced by your subconscious..."

He walked back over to Kanzaki and, readjusting his earpiece, leaned over the man's chair,

"Adjust the ratios to give the eye more power. Give it more specific directions. I want to_ see _his final moments...the exact _second_ life leaves his body."

"Are you certain? Giving the eye more power over the boy's mental processes this early could-"

Warren glared down at the man silently.

At this, Kanzaki simply smiled as he began typing again,

"I'll see what I can do."

~ø~

Anubis stood guard outside of the cafe, hands behind his back as he gazed down the road. There was no sign of Warren's goons yet, but he was sure they'd be coming. The power of Jessica's vision eyes, if in the wrong hands, would bring disastrous results that, at any and all costs, he was ordered to prevent.

No one was to lay a hand on the girl, even if it meant his life. Those were the orders given to him by Sephiria.

"So, are they here yet?"

He glanced beside him as the young brunette stepped out onto the porch and he scowled,

"Miss Jessica, I strongly advise you to return inside."

"That's nice."

She folded her arms across her chest and stared out into the distance as well, as sigh escaping her,

_'"__If you can land a punch on me in one minute, then you can help."'_

-ø-_  
_

_ Eve turned to the periwinkle haired boy on the sidewalk to her left, her tone a calm one,_

_"Leon, time us."_

_Leon straightened, his eyes wide as he watched Jessica stroll out onto the street across from the blonde,_

_"I don't even have a stopwatch! How do you expect me to do that!"_

_"Ooh, I do," Kyoko squealed, whipping out her cellphone,_

_"I just got an app for that!"_

_Pressing a few buttons, she set the stopwatch to zero and turned to the girl with a thumbs up,_

_"Okay, ready when you are!"_

_ "Good, we'll start now."_

_Jessica straightened as she turned her eyes from Kyoko; spotting Eve darting at her from the corner of her eye,_

_"Wh-What!"_

_Her emerald eyes widened as the girl swung at her with a golden fist. She ducked and rolled to her left; picking up and darting around behind her. Anticipating this, a pair of wings burst forth from Eve's back and she leapt into the air; Jessica gazing up in shock. Eve frowned,_

_"If you can't land a hit on __**me **__in one minute, then how can you expect to win against an Eraser!Moreover, how can you expect to stand up against __**Warren**__?"_

_ She swooped down and, transforming her hair into a giant fist, swung at the girl again. Standing her ground this time, Jessica raised up her arms to block it. It sent her skidding for a foot or two, but she remained on her feet._

_"Merrick **protected** you," Eve continued, her eyes narrowing as she continued to punch away at the girl,_

_"He told Warren you** don't** have the vision eye; but you do, **don't** you! Are you going to let what he did for you be in **vain**!"_

_ The brunette fell backward upon the last punch and landed on the concrete, her hair falling before her eyes. Clenching her fists tightly, she sprung up and threw a punch at the winged girl; her eyes narrowing as she missed her mark. Eve leapt into the air again, pulling her feet up to avoid the brunette as she swung her leg around to strike. She narrowed her eyes. Maybe he hadn't lied after all; maybe Jessica really didn't have the vision eye. _

_ "If you've got it, **use** it," the blonde-haired girl said sternly as she watched the girl crouch into a fighting stance,_

_"Don't let his sacrifice be for **nothing**!"_

_She gasped as the brunette disappeared from her sight. Instinctively, she spun around; using her hair to punch the girl away as she reappeared behind her. Jessica, completely shocked by this, landed on her feet and rubbed her cheek sorely,_

_"H-How did you-?"_

_ "I'm not new to a fight," Eve began, clenching her fists tightly,_

_"And I've seen what Sven could do with __**his**__ eye. It's only wise to expect you can do even better; you were __**born**__ with yours."_

_She then turned to the raven-haired girl standing nearby,_

_"Time?"_

_"20 seconds," Kyoko chirped excitedly, turning her eyes to Jessica._

_ The brunette gasped, quickly turning back to Eve,_

_"Th-That's not fair! You've eaten up half my time by talking!"_

_"It was your choice to stop and listen," the blonde stated calmly, _

_"And fine. For the next 20 seconds, I won't say a word!"_

_ She flew toward the brunette in a golden blur and Jessica straightened, quickly disappearing from the spot. She reappeared behind Eve briefly, and disappeared again. Eve frowned. She couldn't see the girl for more than a few seconds at a time. She was using the technique Sven had called 'Graspar Eye', but something was different about it; more advanced. At this moment, Jessica was circling her; she just couldn't see it. After a few more seconds, she straightened suddenly feeling Jessica's presence behind her. She spun around, fist of hair at the ready, and gasped. The girl wasn't there. Quickly, she spun to her right as the girl reappeared in her peripheral; and raised her arms to form a shield. The girl's fist hit it with a forceful 'clang' and Kyoko squealed as she shouted 'Time!'_

_ Jessica straightened, a surprised look on her face,_

_"So...I did it!"_

_Susan straightened her eyes wide in horror as Eve nodded shortly. Excitedly, the girl nodded and turned back for the cafe,_

_"Okay, lemme just go grab a few things and I'll be ready to-"_

_ "You're staying here."_

_She narrowed her eyes as she spun to face Eve, anger brewing,_

_"What! But you just said-"_

_"I said you could 'help'," the blonde began, staring her straight in the eye,_

_"I didn't say you could 'come'. Besides, there's something important I want you to do."_

_ "But...but I can't do anything if I'm stuck here-"_

_"You can use your eyes to protect the people here," Eve interjected, cutting her off shortly,_

_"Especially your __**mother**__!"_

_The brunette straightened as Eve turned away from her and took a few steps forward. She then stopped, and turned her head slightly. The way her face had contorted; it looked as though she were going to cry._

_"You should do everything in your power to protect the family you have left, Jessica," she said softly,_

_"If you don't..."_

_She turned to the girl; her eyes slightly puffy with her coming tears,_

_"You will __**never**__ forgive yourself."_

-ø-_  
_

Jessica sighed and thoughtfully bowed her head. She could only imagine what Eve must have been feeling. She had lost her father, yes, but she had been far too young to remember very much of him. Her only connection to the man had been through old photos and home videos; she had grown up accustomed to the fact that he was not there. The thought that she might lose her mother as well...

The girl swallowed hard. It was an easy decision after that. No one was going to hurt her mother. She would be damned if she let that happen.

~ø~

"Were you two close?"

Rinslet gasped as she spun in her chair, looking away from Sven and to the blonde woman standing in the doorway. Blushing slightly, she shook her head and folded her arms across her chest,

"Me and him? Not like _that_. We were just friends..."

Susan nodded, sighing as she looked over him; tears coming to her eyes,

"I can't believe it...after all this time..."

She shook her head, leaning against the sink nearby as she mindlessly fiddled with her wedding ring,

"The last time I saw him...it was at Lloyd's grave. He was a complete wreck. Bernado's men had just gone free; the judge had been bought off. We all knew it. Those papers your friend had confirm it. I went to the cemetery to tell Lloyd about it, but Sven was already there when I got there. He wasn't in a good way...I'm pretty sure he'd been drinking. He told me he'd quit his job at the IBI; that he wasn't going to work for a system that valued money over justice. He was so..._angry_. I was scared for him. I was certain there was nothing in the world that could turn him around after that..."

"Wow, that doesn't sound like the Sven _I_ knew at all," Rinslet scoffed, sitting up straight in her chair,

"Sure he's always been a grump, but I figured that was because they were broke all the time."

"They?"

"Yeah, him and Train. From what I heard, Train saved Sven's life once. They hit it off pretty well, I guess, and started sweeping together. With how Annette talked, I don't think either of them thought it would be a permanent partnership...at least not until Eve came along."

"They adopted her?"

"You could _say_ that," the lavender-haired woman rubbed nervously at her neck,

"Either way, once she showed up...Sven became a totally different person. More like a dad, you know? The three of them were like their own little family."

Susan smiled at that and turned her eyes back to the ailing man's figure with a deep sigh,

"Good. I had always hoped he'd find that kind of happiness one day."

"Did he not have a good childhood?"

The blonde shook her head shortly,

"No. He never really talked about it. All we ever got out of him was that his mother left when he was young and he hated his father. It took him a while to warm up to anyone; especially to Lloyd. We could tell his heart had been closed up for a long time...and he didn't really seem to care about himself. He was really reckless."

"I've seen _that_ side of him," Rinslet muttered, remembering the time he'd had her fire cannon balls at him during training.

"So, tell me, then, Miss Rinslet," Susan began, swallowing hard,

"When you knew him... _was_ he happy?"

Rinslet, after a moment of silence, nodded shortly to the woman and smiled warmly,

"Yeah. He was."

She looked down at him as well, and with a deep sigh, took gentle hold of his skeletal hand...

~ø~

_'__"He really was."'_

"Set up is complete, Jeremiah," Doctor began, his glasses shining brightly as he turned to the wild-eyed man,

"I can begin the second test whenever you are ready."

Merrick swallowed hard as Warren stood from his chair and put his earpiece back on. He then turned to look directly up at the boy, a mad gleam in his eye,

"Begin."

-ø-

_**12:45 pm**_

"Where are they shooting from!"

Susan shouted, ducking behind the bar as bullets poured in through the windows. Annette was crouched by the window; shotgun in hand,

"The rooftops. They must have set up snipers."

Raising up a bit, she fired a few rounds through one of the large holes in the shattered window, but did not hit anything. She cursed as she crouched back down and reloaded,

"I can't see a damn one of them. We're sitting ducks here."

"You've gotta be kidding," Rinslet shouted, kneeling by the other window with a pistol in hand,

"Where'd what's his face go!"

"I haven't seen him since we brought the girl back inside," Annette replied, taking another few shots toward the rooftops as they came upon a brief moment of stillness,

"How's she doing by the way, Blondie?"

Susan bit her lip as she glanced down beside her at the young brunette. She was still unconscious; her arms and legs covered in cuts and bruises,

"She's still out!"

"Damn," Rinslet yelped, a bullet sailing through the window and grazing her arm,

"Don't they ever _quit_!"

"Not till we're all dead, sweetheart."

"Oh, _that's_ comforting."

The lavender-haired woman swallowed hard and shook her head, groaning in annoyance,

"Things just can't get any worse, can they?"

As if responding to her question, a sudden, solid tone rang out through the cafe, and the group stopped; Susan's eyes going wide,

"Wh-What...?"

Annette's mouth fell open as she turned her head toward the source of the tone; her heart sinking into her stomach,

"That's..."

Without a second thought, Rinslet jumped up from her spot and ran as fast as she could toward the back room; her heart racing,

"Sven!"

As she reached the doorway, she came to a sudden halt; her body completely frozen,

"N-No...no way..."

She took a step forward, disappearing into the kitchen,  
"Sven, h-he's... gone."

_**"YES!"**_

-ø-_**  
**_

Pulled away from the vision by the sound of Warren's intense cackling, Merrick, now distraught, hung his head as the man began to celebrate below him. Warren, arms outstretched to either side, continued to cackle, his crazed eyes wide as he gazed up at the overhead lights,

"One hour...just one hour...and the grief I've endured for these past 14 years will finally be _ended_!"

He let his laughter die down and cleared his throat, turning his gaze to his hands.

_**"In one hour's time...Sven Vollfied will be nothing more than a memory."  
**_


	58. XLIX

** XLIX**

** 11:45am**

The sun shone brightly overhead, casting it's warm glow on the café. Annette stepped out on the porch behind Amon and Jessica, shotgun in hand. She spotted the gleam of a solid black Mercedes in the distance and tensed,

"Well, here they come."

Jessica bit her lip at the woman's words, her legs beginning to shake a little. Perhaps she wasn't ready for this. Perhaps she wasn't good enough. A warm feeling closed around her hand, then, and she heard a soft, unfamiliar voice in her ear,

_"You'll be fine, sweetheart. I believe in you."_

The voice was male. She glanced to her left, the feeling of warmth in her hand still present.

There was no one beside her.

"Jessie..."

The girl then looked to her right, her mother stepping up beside her,

"Mom..."

Taking her young daughter's hand, Susan smiled at her warmly,

"You don't...don't feel like you have to do this, sweetheart. You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

The warmth in her hand faded away with her mother's words and she sighed deeply; smiling as she shook her head,

"I'm not doing this because I _feel _like I have to, Mom..."

She squeezed her mother's hand, gazing up at the woman with a strong, determined look,

"I want to protect you, Mom. And Mr. Vollfied, too. I know I can. So, please don't try to stop me...okay?"

The blonde woman nodded, tears welling in her eyes as she reached up and cradled her daughter's face in both hands,

"You are as stubborn as your father."

They shared a laugh at that, and Susan swallowed hard, offering a smile,

"I'll be inside with Annette. We'll cover you, sweetie, so don't worry..."

She pulled the girl into her arms, squeezing her tightly,

"I will not let _anything _happen to you, I promise. Mommy will keep you safe."

Tapping the woman on the shoulder, Annette nodded and handed her a rifle,

"C'mon. Let's get back inside."

Susan turned away then, wiping her eyes with a shaking hand as she started back inside. Jessica tensed then, calling to her with a tremble in her voice,

"I love you, Mom...!"

Susan turned back to the girl and smiled, nodding shortly,

"I love you, too, Jessie."

The woman then disappeared inside the café and Jessica turned her gaze back toward the road. Amon glanced down at her, scowling,

"I still do not approve of your participation, Miss Jessica. You could be killed."

The girl took a deep breath at that, her posture straightening as the car drew ever closer,

"I know, but it's like Eve said. If I don't even try to use my power and protect these people..."

~ø~

_'"I'll never forgive myself..."'_

Rinslet sat at Sven's bedside, gazing down at him silently. She took his hand and squeezed it tight,

"Come on, Sven...wake up. You've come to far to give up, now. Eve_ needs _you. _Train_ needs you..."

She snorted, shaking her head with a smile,

"Hell, even _I'll _need you for something, _eventually_. I've got a lot of _jobs _left for you boys to do, you know..."

Her head dropped as he gave no response, and she bit her lip,

"We _all_ need you...so _come on_! What happened to that stubborn _ass _who made me shoot cannon balls into his gut, huh?"

She leaned over him, her voice soft as she ran a hand over his faded green hair,

"We need him, _now_...so, come back. _Please_, come back..."

"Rinslet."

The lavender-haired woman jumped and spun around, her eyes wide,

"Y-Yeah!"

Annette stood in the doorway, a scowl on her face,

"They're almost here."

Rinslet nodded shortly, turning back to Sven as the woman stepped away. With a deep sigh, she wiped her eyes and stood, still holding his hand as she leaned over the bed. Squeezing her eyes shut as she felt more tears coming on, she gave him a soft kiss on the head,

"Don't you give up...don't you dare give up."

Clearing her throat, she turned and left the room; drawing a pistol from her boot,

"Okay, Annette, what have we got?"

Unseen and unfelt by the lavender-haired woman, a man with short, brown hair and spectacles stood in the far corner of the room; arms folded across his chest as he gazed down at the ever-weakening man lying before him...

~ø~

"They are approaching the café. Should we still have them try for the Goldwynne girl?"

Warren smirked at Kanzaki's question, gazing Merrick viciously,

"Absolutely."

The muddy-haired boy swallowed hard, shaking his head,

"I told you before! She doesn't have it! The vision eye stopped with her father! The only two people who have it now are me and Sven-"

"You mean to say _'the only __**person**__'_. Vollfied will be dead within the hour, or didn't you see the vision?"

Merrick bit his tongue then and bowed his head; his fists clenching tightly in their restraints.

"Now," Warren began again, sighing deeply,

"Make sure to open her up to 75%."

Kanzaki raised an eyebrow at that, turning slightly in his chair,

"Jeremiah-"

"As I've already told you the _countless_ times, Kanzaki, I don't care about the risks. This boy stopped being my son the moment he_ 'died'_..."

The muddy-haired boy narrowed his eyes at the man, then after a moment, quietly bowed his head.

~ø~

Train leapt forward, his eyes focused directly on Baldor as he aimed to fire off a round.

Eve cried from behind him, starting forward as well,

"Train, don't!"

As he made to shoot, a blur of blue and black slammed into Baldor; sending the man flying. Leon, perched atop his hover board, turned to them with a scowl,

"If you want to keep wasting time out here, then be my guest. But if Warren has _his _way, _none _of us will stand a chance..."

He turned his eyes on Eve,

"Especially that stupid _friend_ of yours."

The blonde nodded, opening her mouth to say something when Train suddenly spoke up from beside her,

"Thanks for clearing the path, Leon."

The chestnut-haired man the disappeared, darting straight for the entrance of the lab. Eve gasped as she was suddenly left in his wake, Leon shouting to her,

"Well, don't just stand there! Go after him!"

The girl nodded and took chase, calling behind her to the periwinkle-haired boy,

"Thank you, Leon!"

The boy watched her disappear with a deep sigh. A voice from behind him drew his attention and he looked back, spotting Baldor rising from the bushes,

"You're gonna regret that, you little punk."

He then stopped and frowned, raising an eyebrow,

"Wait a minute...I recognise you. You're one of those _Apostles_ from a few years back, aren't you?"

Leon narrowed his eyes, saying nothing. Baldor grinned at that, popping his gum loudly in his teeth,

"Oh, today just keeps getting _better _and _better_."

~ø~

"Train, stop!"

Eve shouted desperately, wings sprouting from her back as she chased him down the narrow stairway. He was going so fast. If he got to Warren before she did, he might actually kill the man. She had to stop him before he did something he would regret, but if she couldn't even catch up...

He had disappeared by the time she had reached the end of the stairs and she bit her lip; fists clenched at her sides. He was going to turn back; turn back into the killer he had once been. He was going to become the person that Creed had wanted him to be all of those years ago.

And she was powerless to stop it.

_"Go this way..."_

The girl straightened at the sound of a soft, feminine voice coming from the door to her left. She opened it and frowned. It was the laundry room; the exact room she'd checked when they'd come to get Sven before. Frowning, she stepped inside and glanced around. A smile crossed her lips when she spotted it. Just above her was an opening to an air duct...

~ø~

Train narrowed his eyes as he reached the spiral stairwell that lead to the lab. Tightening his grip on Hades, he started down the steps, the soles of his shoes clacking loudly against the stone finish. It echoed coldly around him.

_"If you go through with this, there's no going back."_

He stopped at the bottom, bowing his head. That voice; the sudden smell of tobacco accompanying it...

It wasn't real. He knew that.

A lump developed in his throat as he closed his eyes. Eve was right. Sven wouldn't want this. He wouldn't want him to go back down this road. He had fought so hard, overcome so much. To go back down the path he had tread as the Black Cat would be to throw everything he had worked so hard for into the garbage. He'd be throwing Eve away. He'd be throwing Sven away. And even Saya...

His eyes opened again and tightened his grip around Hades, marching forward once more.

This wasn't about what _Sven _wanted anymore. Sven was _gone_. The _only _person Eve could call a father; the_ last _person he could call a _friend_.

Gone. This wasn't about what _they _wanted. It was about what _needed_ to be done.

He could almost hear Creed, now. The ghost of his maniacal laugh reverberated throughout the long corridor; bouncing off the walls, sending chills down his spine.

_"There! There's the Train I know and love! The Train I remember~!"_

The chestnut-haired man bowed his head as he trudged on; the voice continuing to sing all around him,

_"I knew...I knew if I rid you of that man you'd go back to your old self. Your __**true**__ self."_

He reached the doors to the lab and paused; eyes locked with the floor.

_"My beautiful...Black Cat."_

~ø~

The Mercedes came to a halt across the street from the café. From inside it, a pair of men in black suits stepped out. Jessica tensed as they started toward them, the one in front, a balding, blonde man wielding a crossbow, smirking,

"I assume you are Jessica Goldwynne?"

She remained silent, her fists clenching at her sides. Taking off his sunglasses, the brown-eyed man grinned widely,

"Emilio Lowe. It's nice to finally meet you. Warren has told me so much..."

Amon frowned, raising a confused eyebrow at the man,

"Didn't you used to have hair?"

The man snarled, clenching his fists tightly,

"Yes, well...I didn't really have a _choice_ in the matter."

He spotted a young woman with black hair in the window, making faces at them silently.

~ø~

Sighing deeply, Charden, stationed at the back entrance of the café, marched over to the girl and grabbed her by the shoulder,

"Out of the window, Kyoko."

Pouting, the raven-haired girl complied and followed him back over to their post,

"_Fiiiine_."

~ø~

Letting out an aggravated sigh, Lowe turned back to the pair standing on the porch,

"So, Miss Goldwynne...does the fact that you're standing here awaiting our arrival mean you are ready to come with us willingly-"

"No."

The petite brunette took a deep breath, her insides still shaking as she forced the words from her throat,

"It means...I'm gonna fight you. And I'm going to protect my mom...and Mr. Vollfied...and everyone here!"

Lowe narrowed his eyes as the girl continued,

"I'm not going to let you get away with what you've done! I'll fight you with everything I am! Because that..."

She swallowed hard, glaring him down with determined eyes,

"That's what my dad would do. And I'm going to make him proud."

The blonde-haired man frowned at that, a strong breeze tousling what was left of his hair,

"Oh...is that so?"

~ø~

Eve straightened as she crawled to the end of the air duct, reaching a vertical chute. Her ruby eyes widened as she took a peek into the chute. She couldn't tell how far down it went; the bottom was not visible at all. Swallowing hard, she swung her legs around and sat on the edge. She could do this. This chute likely would lead her straight to the lab. Unfortunately, the shaft was too narrow to use her wings. It would be straight free fall. But this was the only likely way to beat Train to Warren, to save him from becoming the man he once was.

To save Merrick...

With a short nod, she bit her lip and jumped in.

~ø~

Merrick sighed deeply as Warren and Kanzaki retreated to the back room. Something had gone wrong with the program just now...a blessed glitch, perhaps? Maybe it fried all of the network's circuitry? He could only hope.

He bowed his head, closing his eyes.

_'"It's called a ferris wheel, isn't it? Do you think you can see the whole city from there?"'_

He sighed deeply at the thought of her,

_'Eve...'_

He could see her now; the excitement in her eyes as they reached the top, the way the fireworks had cast their vibrant glow on her flawless, porcelain skin. Her soft giggle and gentle voice met his ears then, and he felt his heart make a flip. Quickly, he shook his head and looked to the ground. It only hurt to think of her, now. It wasn't like he was ever going to see her again.

_RUMBLE RUMBLE._

The boy frowned as he heard a strange noise sound above him, and glanced upward. He waited patiently to see if he would hear it again, but the room fell quiet. His head fell.

_BANG. THUD._

Startled, Merrick raised his gaze upon hearing the violent noises and glanced around in confusion. It sounded like it had come from his right, but the only thing there was a vent. He then heard a loud creak from the same spot and he glanced down at the floor. Warren and Kanzaki were still in the adjacent room. Perhaps they weren't paying attention?

The boy frowned as it fell quiet again, keeping his eyes on the vent. Another creak sounded and out from the slot in the ceiling a waterfall of golden hair came falling down. Attached to the mane of gold was the upside down face of a young girl with ruby eyes. She spotted him, whispering to him loudly,

"Merrick!"

Merrick stared at her, disbelief in his two-toned eyes as his mouth fell agape,

"E-Eve?"

The girl smiled in return.

~ø~

_BEEP. BEEP. BEEP._

He stood at the street light; the vacant city bathed in fog.

_BEEP. BEEP. BEEP._

Quietly, he took a lighter from the pocket of his trench coat and lit the cigarette hanging from his lips.

_BEEP. BEEP. BEEP._

A figure appeared in the fog a few feet away. They walked toward him, their image becoming clearer as they grew closer. He looked to them, an annoyed tone in his voice,

"You're _late_."

They stared at him silently through rounded spectacles, letting out a deep sigh as he took a few puffs of his cigarette,

_"No..."_

_ BEEP. BEEP. BEEP._

The wind whipped fast around the tall buildings surrounding them, catching their coats in it's grasp. He looked to the man in confusion, eyebrow raised as his lime green hair fluttered gently about his face,

"No?"

The brown-haired man shook his head, the wind tousling his hair as well,

_"You're too __**early**__, Sven."_

_**BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.**_


	59. L

**A/N: Chapter 50! Wooooooooooot! I was hoping to have a longer chapter for this, but, this was the best I could do. Sorry, guys. -3-;  
**

* * *

**L**

** 12:00pm**

Jessica let out a gasp as she quickly side stepped the electrified prongs of the suited man's shock baton. It nearly snagged her the skirt of her school uniform as it breezed by; the girl swallowing hard. Just a few inches over and he would have caught her in the hip. She flipped herself away from him, landing on the curb across the street. The man, someone Amon had referred to as "an Eraser" turned to her, deep scowl on their face. He raised his baton and let off a few shocks before charging at her again. The girl tensed.

~ø~

Meanwhile, a few feet away from her, Amon raised in the air an orichalcum whip; striking down Emilio's arrows with great ease,

"Why!"

Emilio leapt back as the whip came crashing down. Chunks of asphalt flew into the air where the sandy-haired man once stood, and landing a few feet away, he raised his bow again,

"Why, what, Anubis?"

"What reason have you to work for Jonas Warren," Amon began, lashing out with the whip a second time.

Emilio side stepped it rather easily and fired an arrow that grazed the tan-skinned man's face. Blood trickled down the man's cheek, to which he winced with both anger and pain,

"Why would you wish to tear apart a family! You, whom was once the most committed to the cause of peace...what have you to profit from this war!"

"What have I to gain? Why, that's a simple answer," Emilio repeated, a smirk crossing his lips.

He disappeared then; reappearing behind him with arrow at the ready,

"Job security."

Amon's green eyes widened then, as he felt the sharp tip of an arrow meeting his back...

~ø~

Merrick blinked as the ruby-eyed girl popped her head out of the vent, his eyes wide in disbelief,

"E-Eve?"

After a moment of stunned silence, the boy shook his head, his voice an angry whisper,

"Eve, what the hell are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay away-"

"Yeah, like I was gonna listen to _you_."

She grunted softly as she pulled herself out of the duct, dangling by her hands a moment before sprouting wings. She flew over to him, took take a closer look at his restraints, frowning,

"Solid metal, hmm?"

He shook his head as he watched her morph her hand into a saw; cursing through his teeth,

"You shouldn't be here! You should've stayed with Sven!"

"And do_ what_! Sit back and lose someone_ else _I care about!"

She hissed, a dark look in her eyes. It was a look he hadn't seen before. He swallowed hard at the sudden change in her, realising what it must have meant. Warren hadn't been completely wrong. Sven must have...

"Eve...I..."

His head fell as she went back to sawing at his restraints and he sighed deeply,

"If Warren finds you here, he'll kill you. This crazy doctor guy working for him figured out what he needed in his formula...or something. I wasn't really paying close attention," he trailed off a little, the girl giving him an odd look.

Shaking his head, he cleared his throat,

"Look, whatever, all right? The point is, he _doesn't_ need you for his 'master plan' anymore! When he sees you here, he'll _destroy_ you!"

"Not if I destroy him _first_."

The muddy-haired boy straightened, his heart stopping at the coldness of her words,

"What..."

~ø~

'_"...what did you say?"'_

The bespectacled man laughed and shook his head, his brown bangs catching the breeze as he started forward,

_"Didn't you notice anything...odd... about this place?"_

Sven glanced around, shaking his head with a frown,

"The city?"

_"No. I'm not talking about the city."_

He plucked the cigarette from his lips and held it between his fingers,

"Then, what the hell _are _you talking about, Lloyd?"

Lloyd sighed deeply, his gaze falling to the sidewalk,

_"You really don't know..."_

"Know_ what_," Sven spat, his voice rising angrily as he tossed what was left of his cigarette to the ground,

"What the hell _am_ I supposed to know? I know we've got a_ job _to do today, that now thanks to_ you_, we're seriously _late_-"

_"Not __**we**__."_

At this, the lime-haired man snorted and shook his head,

"Now, you're _really _getting on my nerves..."

Turning away, he shoved his hands in his coat pockets and started down the road in a huff,

"C'mon, let's _go_. That assassin ain't gonna arrest himself."

It took him only a few steps to realise that his partner was not following him.

To this, he spun on his heel and glared at the younger man,

"Lloyd!"

Lloyd smiled sadly,

_"I can't go with you, Sven. This is something you have to do on your own."_

Taking a deep breath, Sven shook his head and stormed over to the man, reaching for his arm,

"Jesus _Christ_. I don't know what the hell is wrong with you today, Lloyd, but you're really starting to piss me off. Now let's g-"

His hand sailed right through the man's shoulder as he brought it down, catching nothing but a cold breeze. He straightened, looking first to said hand. He then looked to his partner.

_**"In a minute, there's going to be an opening. When you see your chance, take it. Don't think, just shoot."**_

"L-Lloyd...?"

Lloyd sighed deeply as he watched Sven turn pale, offering a smile,

_"If it makes you feel any better...the mission was a success. We nabbed the assassin and nobody else got hurt. Remember?"_

_**"Curse you, IBI dogs!"**_

_** "That's right...and you don't stand a chance as long as dogs like us can sniff out crap like you."**_

Sven staggered over to the light post and put his hand on it. He felt weak suddenly. It was getting hard to breath.

_BEEP. BEEP. BEEP._

The city was vacant; not only was no one on the street...he couldn't feel anyone there at all.

This place was a ghost town, _literally_.

At that he stopped and turned back to Lloyd, a frightened look on his face,

"Am...am I...?"

~ø~

_'"...dead?"'_

Susan narrowed her eyes as she took aim at the Eraser battling her daughter. She ground her teeth together angrily and cursed,

"I can't get a good shot!"

"Then, don't try!"

She gasped, glancing over at Annette, whom was crouched at the other opposite window. Annette didn't bother to look over at her, instead opting to keep an eye on the rooftops across the road,

"She's a big girl, she can handle herself."

Susan stared at her blankly, shaking her head once she'd overcome her surprise,

"How...how can you say that! She's only 16! She's just a child!"

"Well, she's a lot older than Eve was her first time out of the gate," the older woman snapped back,

"And from what I remember...Sven was scared out of his _mind_ at the thought of it. But you know what? He let go of her hand and let her do things herself! He had _faith_ in her! And it's time _you_ had faith in your daughter!"

The blonde-haired woman straightened, her brown eyes wide in shock,

"F-Faith in my...of course I have faith in her! But I..."

She turned her gaze back to the battle, her voice escaping her as she watched the image of her daughter warp and shift into that of the young man who had helped give her life.

"She won't end up like your husband."

A gasp escaped her as she turned back to Annette, eyes wide in shock.

"That's what you're thinking, right? That you're going to lose her like you lost him?"

The woman swallowed hard; stammering as she shook her head,

"I-I'm not..."

"You don't have to worry, Susan. You've got a tough girl out there... and _she _won't let that happen."

Bowing her head, Susan bit her lip and turned her gaze back to the battle. She could see it if she looked close; the look of determination on her daughter's face. She smiled a little, the worry wrenching her heart easing up a bit,

"I...I believe that."

~ø~

"You," Merrick stammered as the blade broke through the restraint, releasing one of his wrist,

"You don't plan on _killing _him, do you?"

Eve looked to him in shock, her ruby eyes wide in horror,

"_No!_ I'm not gonna kill him...!"

She shrugged as she went to saw at the next clamp, murmuring softly to herself,

"I might hang him by his toes for a bit before turning him in..."

"What?"

"Nothing."

The girl sighed then, glancing up at the boy with a small smile,

"Thank you, though..."

Merrick raised an eyebrow at that, snorting as he shook his head,

"For what?"

She swallowed hard, breaking the second clamp off in her hand to free his arm,

"For trying...to save Sven."

The muddy-haired boy offered her a smile,

"Well, I would do anything for you..."

Her head shot up at that, and he coughed sharply, a bright red blush crossing his cheeks,

"I-I mean...you know...cause we're friends!"

She blinked at him for a moment, then nodded, her face turning red as well,

"R-Right, right! Friends..."

They both fell awkwardly silent for a minute, Eve shrugging a little,

"Not...partners?"

Merrick straightened, clearing his throat quietly,

"I-I...I guess so. Like...business associates."

"Yeah. _Associates_."

After sharing a short laugh, Eve looked away from him and broke the next clamp, moving onto the last one,

"Well...let's hurry and get you down before Warren finds us..._partner_."

The boy grinned as she broke final restraint, biting back a yelp as he fell forward. She caught him in her arms; the both of them blushing as his face landed right between her breasts. Unfortunately, he could not free himself from the position, as his ankles were still clamped to the wall. Eve had apparently forgotten about those. The boy swallowed hard, his face burning as he shifted his mouth to where he could breathe,

"Well...this is _good_."

~ø~

_"No, you're not dead."_

Sven sighed deeply and leaned back against the lamp post again, shaking his head,

"Then...what _am_ I?"

Lloyd shrugged, striding over to the curb beside him with a sigh,

_"'Stuck'...I think is a better word."_

"Stuck," the lime-haired man frowned in confusion,

"Why would I be stuck...?"

_"I don't know."_

He snorted, pulling his carton of cigarettes from his pocket,

"Lot of help _you_ are."

Opening the box to take one out, he frowned, finding it empty,

"What?"

Lloyd frowned, watching in amusement as Sven patted at his other pockets,

_"What is it?"_

The lime-haired man straightened, continuing to fiddle with the box,

"I'm out of cigarettes."

_"And that's a problem, how?"_

Sven glared at him; an annoyed tone in his voice,

"Because a gentleman-"

_**"-can never be without his cigarettes."**_

He stared at the box in his hand, frozen.

Lloyd leaned over a little; eyebrow raised as he caught the stricken expression on Sven's face,

_"Sven? Is something wrong?"_

The lime-haired man kept his eyes on the carton; the soft voice of a child meeting his ears as he gazed at it.

_**"Sven, you promise?" **_

_** "That we'll go to the festival and see the fireworks."**_

Spotting something out of the corner of his eye, he turned away from Lloyd and walked out to it. Kneeling to take a closer look, he discovered that it was an upside down ice cream cone that had begun melting into the concrete. He carefully picked it up and turned back to Lloyd,

"This place is supposed to be empty, right? So, then how did this get here?"

Lloyd smirked quietly. Rolling his eyes, the lime-haired man shook his head,  
"I guess some kid must have dropped it."

_**"You've never had ice cream before? You're a weird kid..."**_

"Some kid..."

He repeated, the ice cream beginning to drip down his hand.

_**"Sven...I need you!"**_

The cone fell from his hand as he raised his head. He caught his reflection in the building across the street. Replacing his tan trench coat and black suit was a cream-coloured suit and matching fedora. Raising a hand to his face, he gingerly traced the eye patch covering his right eye. His hand fell then and he turned back to Lloyd, look of determination on his face,

"How do I get out of here?"

Lloyd smiled.

~ø~

"What went wrong with the system?"

Warren leaned over the computer, looking over Kanzaki's shoulder to get a better look,

"And how long will it take to fix the problem?"

"Oh, I already fixed it, Jeremiah."

Warren frowned at the man, raising an eyebrow,

"Then...why did you say there was issue!"

"Because there is," he switched screens to the security camera feed, the images reflecting on his glasses,

"There are intruders in the building."

On the left side of the screen, the image of a young girl with angelic wings could be seen freeing Merrick from his bonds. On the right, a man in a long, black trench coat stood just outside the laboratory doors.

Warren swallowed hard as he watched the right screen, his body tensing,

"Black Cat..."

"You needn't be worried about _him_, Jeremiah."

He turned to Warren with a calm smirk,

"The _gatekeeper _will take care of him."

~ø~

With a heavy sigh, Train pushed open the doors to the lab, his eyes widening as he stepped out onto the balcony of an elaborate castle. A figure stood before him, just a few feet away. They smirked widely, their silver hair catching the wind as they gazed at him fondly,

"Hello, _Train_."

Train stared at him in horror, swallowing hard as those ice-blue eyes pierced through his soul,

"No way..."

The silvery-haired man smirked wildly, the tails of his black, feathered coat flapping in the breeze,

"It's been a long time. I missed you terribly_._"

The chestnut-haired man felt a shiver crawl down his spine as he spotted the hilt of a broken sword in the man's grasp.

It couldn't be. This wasn't possible.

_**"C-Creed?"**_


	60. LI

**LI**

** 12:30**

Rinslet cursed as she glanced out the rear windows of the café; spotting another black car pull around the corner,

"Re-enforcements are here!"

Charden stood and pulled on a pair of white gloves as he started toward back door exit,

"We're on it."

Kyoko giggled as she hopped up beside him, trotting after him like a puppy,

"Just remember, Charden, we can't kill anybody! I promised Mister Black..."

"Yes, well, things are very different for Black Cat these days. He is no longer the man you made that promise to..."

She frowned up at him silently, her lip jutting out in a pout.

Charden sighed deeply at her look of disapproval and let out a groan,

"Fine. I won't kill anyone."

"All right!"

Turning to Annette, Rinslet picked up a spare pistol from the gun rack beneath the bar and loaded it with ammo,

"I'll watch the side door."

"Right," Annette nodded, keeping her eye on the rooftops,

"Keep him safe."

The lavender-haired woman nodded as she marched through the kitchen door, glancing briefly at Sven as she headed for the exit.

Still no change. Was there any hope for him?

~ø~

"So, where the hell am I supposed to _go_," Sven grumbled as he trudged down the empty street, hands in his pockets,

"This place got an exit sign or something?"

"_I don't think it's that easy, Sven_," Lloyd laughed nervously, walking a few feet behind him.

"It never_ is_."

_BEEP. BEEP. BEEP._

The lime-haired man let out a grunt as he suddenly ran into something hard. He fell backward, his fedora landing on the ground beside him,

"The hell?!"

"_Maybe you should watch start watching where you're going?"_

"I _was_," he grumbled, dusting off his hat as he stood. Placing it back on his head, he glanced up and frowned.

What appeared to be a brick wall was suddenly blocking his path. He raised an eyebrow at it curiously,

"Oh..."

~ø~

_ '"...kay?"' _

Jessica let out a shriek as she was hit in the side by the electric prongs of her attacker's baton. She fell to the ground, gasping painfully as she pushed herself up onto her elbows. Cuts and bruises covered her arms and legs from the lengthy fight. This man was relentless; thirty minutes of battle and he wasn't even phased. Just what kind of training did they put these men through at Chronos? She pushed herself back up to her feet, her chestnut-brown hair falling in front of her eyes. The girl groaned at this and tucked it behind her ear. She must have lost her hair slides sometime during the fight. Swallowing hard, she crouched into a defensive stance as the man charged her again, ducking below the baton as he thrust it toward her.

She rolled around behind him, sweeping her leg around to catch him in the side. He grunted as it connected and staggered backward; losing balance. As he began to fall, she ran forward and leapt into the air. His eyes widened as she kicked forward, the bottom of her shoe connecting squarely with his face.

~ø~

Jenos cursed as he threw forth Excelion's wires; snagging a tree limb instead of his intended target,

"Damn!"

His eyes widened then as he felt a presence appear behind him and he glanced back, side-stepping a sudden onslaught from Kranz at the last second. He winced, blood spurting from a small nick at the base of his neck,

"Not quite, _sweetheart_," he smirked, clamping a hand down on the wound,

"You'll have to do better than_ that_."

Kranz, his expression as solemn as ever, charged forward without a word, Mars at the ready.

A sheer, rainbow ribbon flew past Jenos then, heading straight for Kranz. The man quickly ducked, the ribbon coming within inches of lopping off his head. Li stepped up beside his wounded comrade, calling Seiren back to him. He narrowed his eyes at Kranz, anger in his tone,

"How far you both have fallen, to neglect the organisation you've fought so bravely for in the past...is your lust for battle that strong?"

"Lust for battle...? No," the visored man began, sighing deeply as he turned his head in the direction of Baldor. The brown-haired man was in the midst of battle with three sweepers and a former member of the Apostles of the Star. He bowed his head. From the sound of it, he was losing.

"So long as_ he _fights," Kranz began, turning back to Li with a scowl,

"I shall fight with him."

A moment's pause and he charged forward, Mars raised and ready for attack...

~ø~

Both feet finally back on the ground, Merrick coughed and bowed his head; a bright red blush still burning his face as he turned to the girl,

"S-Sorry about that..."

She, too, was still blushing from the awkward encounter, and she folded her arms over her chest,

"It's fine."

They both went silent for a moment. Eve, glancing around cautiously, turned away from him,

"We should get you out of here. Before Warren finds you're free..."

"Yeah, I guess so."

They started toward the door, Merrick clearing his throat,

"Eve?"

She paused, glancing back at him curiously. Rubbing the back of his neck, he looked to her sheepishly,

"Thanks...for not listening to me."

The ruby-eyes girl blushed as a smile hit her lips and he smiled back.

_**TH-THUMP.**_

His eyes widened suddenly and he grunted, staring at her blankly. Eve frowned, swallowing hard as he began shaking,

"Merrick? What's wrong?"

_**TH-THUMP.**_

He fell to his knees, crying out in pain as he grabbed at his head. With a gasp, the girl ran to his side and knelt down beside him; gently grabbing his shoulder,

"Merrick-!"

"...away..."

She frowned, leaning closer to him as he whimpered,

"What?"

The boy grit his teeth as blood began to trickle from his nose and he let out a cry filled with pain and fear,

"RUN AWAY!"

Eve straightened at his sudden scream; startled. Suddenly, in her peripheral vision, a shadow appeared with glowing, golden eyes.

She had no time to act as it sent something slamming into her side; sending her sailing across the room.

~ø~

"C-Creed?"

The silvery-haired man smirked. Train shook his head, his golden eyes wide in fear,

"There's no way..."

Turning back for exit, he threw the door open and took a step forward, glancing around. The hallway that had led him here was gone, replaced with a black void.

"There's no escaping from here, I'm afraid."

The chestnut-haired man slowly turned back around as he heard the sound of footsteps drawing closer,

"What're you talking about?"

"Why, you don't _remember_?"

He took a few steps closer and sighed, sweeping his arms out to either side,

"The world that I spoke of Train-the world that I _wished_ for? _This_ is _it_! The world that I've_ longed _for..."

Train turned back to face Creed, his grip on Hades tightening with fear as he swallowed hard. Creed was crying,

"...where we could be_ together_."

With a quick movement of his arm, Creed swung the hilt of his broken blade forward; Train hastily leaping out of it's way.

He frantically fired a few rounds at the silvery-haired man; Creed beginning to cackle madly,

"I suppose by your reaction, you haven't forgotten about my Imagine Blade! Oh, how wonderful you are to remember it!"

Train yelped as he felt the invisible blade slice his torso and he stumbled away, darting to the window.

"The gentle caress of my blade against your flesh! Doesn't it feel _good_?"

Train cursed as he spun to face Creed again; raising Hades to fire.

In the man's place stood another familiar face; a man in a cream-coloured suit.

He stared at him in shock; the lime-haired man glaring back at him angrily. He said nothing.

Just as abruptly as the image had appeared, it dissolved as Creed smashed through it; Imagine Blade in hand.

He jabbed forward, the tip of the sword piercing through Train's shoulder as they both smashed through the window...

~ø~

Sven frowned as he inspected the brick wall, deep in thought. He knocked on it. He paced the length of it. He kicked it.

Nothing. It would not give way no matter what he tried. With a sigh, he sat down in front of it, folding his arms as he glared at it.

Lloyd raised an eyebrow,

_"Well?"_

"If I had my weapon case, this wall would be dust."

_"But you don't."_

"I _know_."

He pressed his forehead to the wall, his eyes widening as he began to hear mumbling.

_**'"Don't you give up...don't you dare give up."**_

He pulled back quickly and blinked, raising an eyebrow at the wall,

"The hell...?"

~ø~

_'"...Rinslet?"'_

The lavender-haired woman cursed as she felt the vibration of her whip cracking against the Eraser that had darted out from around the corner. He fired a shot at her as he went flying across the street; the bullet snagging her arm. Wincing, she nervously glanced back inside.

The bullet that had grazed her was now embedded in the wall just above Sven's cot. Gritting her teeth, she stepped out into the alley and closed the door behind her,

_'That was close.'_

She glanced back, her eyes wide as she spotted another Eraser standing behind her; their pistol taking aim.

_**CLA-CHIK.**_

~ø~

Jessica gasped as she dodged her attacker's baton; backstepping quickly as he continued to charge. She ducked as it sailed over her head and slammed her fist squarely into his gut. Coughing, he staggered backward and she chased after him, continuing her assault in a hail of punches and jabs. He fell to the ground as she finished her attack, gasping for air as saliva dribbled down his chin,

"You...you little bitch...!"

"Yeah, I am," she said, her fists clenched at her sides,

"But you're threatening my friends, so I'm entitled to be."

Her eyes widened then.

- _She could see a man appearing behind her. He held a switchblade and had it aimed to dig into her shoulder.-_

Spinning suddenly, she turned and dug her shoe into her approaching attacker's side; the man staring at her in shock as he was flung to the ground. The attacker frowned, coughing shortly as he raised his gaze to her,

"How...how did you know-"

"Let's just say," she began, the wind picking up her hair as she glared down at him,

"I have an angel watching over me."

She narrowed her eyes, as the wind picked up; the trees rustling all around,

"And he's making sure I _beat_ you."

~ø~

Eve groaned as she pushed herself up off of the tile floor; strands of long golden hair falling before her eyes as she raised her head. Looking up, she spotted Jonas Warren standing a few feet away from Merrick, his arm lengthy and distended; wriggling around in the air like a snake. He pulled it back and let it return to normal, his eyes glowing bright red,

"Well, well...what have we here? A little mouse has found its way into my lair?"

He stepped over Merrick, the boy now lying on his back and writhing in pain, and cackled; morphing his arm into a long blade,

"Seeing as the trap didn't work...I suppose I shall have to rid this world of you myself."

Tensing, she preemptively shot forth her golden hair, now forming a cluster of fists, toward the man; her eyes narrowed. He smirked at this and raised his arm, slicing away at the fists in one clean motion. Eve gasped as they dissolved, returning to regular strands of hair as they fluttered in a bunch to the ground. She stiffened, eyes wide as she gaped at him in terror. Warren smiled, licking his bladed arm with a chuckle,

"Are you scared, little mouse? You _should_ be. I had my good doctor add an ingredient to the original formula that created your nanotechnology..."

She swallowed hard as he disappeared from her sight; her heart beginning to race. She couldn't even sense it as he reappeared directly behind her; his whisper meeting her ears first,

"..._orichalcum._"

A searing pain slashed across her back then and she let out a shrill scream...

~ø~

Sven stood as he heard a shrill scream echo throughout the city; the sound sending a chill down his spine,

"That scream..."

He cursed.

He knew that cry, he could see her as plain as day. Frantically, he began pounding at the wall with his fists,

"Come on!_ Move_!"

Another cry echoed around him and he grit his teeth; his eye wide as he began clawing at it,

"Eve! I'm coming, don't worry!"

His efforts proved fruitless and with a curse, he slammed his head against the wall; squeezing his eyes shut as another scream sounded through the air,

"Dammit! Why can't I get out of here!?"

He glanced down at the ground as he opened his eyes, and completely froze; swallowing hard. To his right, discarded in the gutter, lay a wrench sullied by blood.

_KRRRK._

He winced. He could feel the pain burning the right half of his face; and his heart began racing as he continued to stare at it.

Lloyd remained silent as he watched Sven lean down and pick up the wrench. It trembled in the man's hand.

Sven swallowed hard as he stared at it, his insides shaking. He knew it was silly, to be afraid of a harmless wrench, but ever since that night he had always felt a little uncomfortable using one. But this one in specific, the way it was covered in blood...

_"You don't have to feel guilty, you know."_

He turned to Lloyd, remaining silent. Lloyd smiled slightly,

_"About that night. It's been troubling you for a long time hasn't it?"_

Sven bowed his head; the wrench falling to his side as he said nothing.

_"You don't have to feel guilty for what happened, Sven. There's no way you could have predicted-"_

"But _you_ did!?"

Lloyd stopped as Sven glared up at him, his face contorted in grief. Sven let out a growl as he gripped the wrench tightly in his hand,

"You did, didn't you? You knew what would happen. You saw it ahead of time...and that's why you became an organ donor. Isn't it?"

Lloyd sighed deeply at the inquiry, a sad tone in his voice,

_"Yes. I saw everything."_

Grinding his teeth together, Sven bowed his head at the man's answer and growled,

"Then, _why_!? You had a _family_, Lloyd! You had a_ life_! I had _nothing_! You could have let _me_ die! You could have lived! You _should_ have lived! No one would have _cared_ if I was gone! I wouldn't have been missed-!"

_"__**She**__ would have missed you."_

Sven straightened at that, shaking his head in confusion at what Lloyd was implying,

"Who...? Eve? She'd have no_ reason_ to miss me. We would never-"

_"-have even met."_

A hollow feeling overcame the lime-haired man then as he heard another scream sound above him. Lloyd smiled slightly,

_"I told you, Sven...I saw __**everything**__. Without you...Torneo would have turned Eve into an unstoppable killing machine. She would have been set loose on the world, destroying whole countries and murdering countless innocent people."_

Sven shook his head, his mind reeling. It was impossible. One man couldn't make that much of an impact on the world. The very idea was insane.

_"And your friend? His life would have ended without your help."_

The lime-haired man raised an eyebrow at that,

"You mean Train? How did I-?"

_"You're the one who peeled him off that dirt road in Goat Town and fed him, remember? If it hadn't been for that single act of kindness...he wouldn't have been around to defeat Creed that day. Creed would have gone on to plunge this world into darkness, using Eve and the Apostles of the Star to conquer all of mankind."_

Sven straightened as he looked to Lloyd, a sigh escaping him,

"You really...you really saw it? _All_ of it? Train...and Eve? The end of the world?"

_"Believe it or not, Sven," _Lloyd began, the wind tousling his hair,

_"You're the glue that's been holding everything together. Without you..."_

~ø~

_'__**"This world is done for."'**_

* * *

**A/N: So, writing Creed is seriously fun. I should have done it AGES ago.  
Just sayin'.  
**


	61. LII

** LII**

**12:40pm**

_**CLA-CHIK.**_

Rinslet straightened as a crimson wave suddenly covered the Eraser's body, the man screaming as he was dragged backward and away. After a few moments of listening to the man scream horrifically, Kyoko popped her head out from around the corner and gave the woman a thumbs up,

"Don't worry, Big Tits, we got this."

Rinslet blinked blankly at the girl, her face turning red at the nickname,

"_Excuse_ me!?"

A sudden shout from the street drew her attention away from Kyoko, and she turned her eyes wide,

"What was that?"

With a hard swallow, she cautiously made her way to the end of the alleyway...

~ø~

The young brunette fell to her knees, panting heavily in exhaustion. Her opponents lay unconscious across just feet away from her on either side. A tired smile crossed her face as she glanced between them. She had won. There might be more battles to fight, but at least she could say she had won one of them...even if that was all she could do. Eyes drooping shut, Jessica fell forward toward the ground, slightly confused at the feeling of a pair of warm arms enveloping her. A faint voice in her ear soothed her as she lost consciousness, and she felt a tear escape her.

The voice, though unfamiliar, made her feel safe.

_'"That's my girl..."'_

~ø~

Susan tensed as she watched her daughter collapse and darted for the front door,

"JESSIE!"

As she threw open the door, she stopped, frozen. Across the street, cradling her daughter in his arms, was a man with short, brown hair and spectacles. He wore a suit and trenchcoat; the exact outfit he had worn on the day he had died. Tears hit her eyes as he raised his gaze to look at her, and she breathed softly as she slowly made her way down down the front steps.

As she reached the girl, she knelt down, her eyes darting back and forth between the spectre and her child. From behind her, she could hear Annette calling to her,

"What the hell are you doing!? Grab her and get back inside! Hurry!"

The spectre smiled as he handed the girl off to her, smiling warmly,

_'"You did a good job with her."'_

He reached up and touched her cheek, the woman letting out a soft gasp. She could almost feel his warmth. Closing her eyes, she shook her head; tears streaming down her face,

"Lloyd...how-?"

Upon opening her eyes again, the spectre was gone. Susan bit her lip at this and gazed down at the young girl in her arms, a smiling hitting her lips as she heard his voice in her ear,

_'"I love you, Susan..."'_

She laughed in disbelief; impossible joy filling her heart.

"SUSAN!"

The blonde straightened as she heard Annette's frantic cry and frowned, confused. It was then that she saw the shadow coming from behind her. She had no time to react before...

_**CR-CRACK.**_

Gagging, the Eraser was flung away from the woman with the swift flick of a wrist; the end of a whip wrapped tightly around his neck. He fell to the ground a few hundred feet away. Susan turned her gaze up in surprise, spotting Rinslet coming toward them,

"Come on! We've gotta move!"

Helping Susan to her feet, she carefully aided the woman in carrying her daughter back to safety as bullets began to rain down on them from the rooftops.

~ø~

Annette straightened as the three of them rushed inside, shooting blindly at their invisible snipers as Susan carried Jessica to a safer spot behind the bar,

"The hell were you thinking!? Running out there like that!? You should have let that Number bring her back!"

"Mother's instinct," the woman yelled back, gently stroking her daughter's cheek,

"Something you'd understand if you had children!"

"Who says I don't!?"

A bullet hit the windowsill, causing the woman to duck out of the way. Rinslet raised an eyebrow as she glanced at Annette from her spot by the adjacent window, shaking her head,

"Since when did you have_ kids_?"

"I _don't_," the woman growled, reloading her rifle,

"Not _anymore_. Why do you think I got into this business?"

Another shot made her pull away from the window, and she cocked the gun, glaring the lavender-haired woman down,

"Now, shut up and grab a gun. This fort ain't gonna hold down itself."

~ø~

**12:41pm**

"Oh, _Train_...it's been such a _long _time since we _danced_ like this..."

Grasping his shoulder tightly, Train ran along the roof top; sweat beading down his temple. An explosion underneath him caused him to tumble and he leapt a few feet away, turning just in time to see Creed's Imagine Blade 'Level 3' destroy a whole section of the building. The silvery-haired man stepped forward from the smoke and dust, licking his lips in an almost seductive manner,

"I must say...I've been _aching _for you."

Swinging the Imagine Blade forward, Creed began to cackle as Train attempted to use Hades to counter. He held it off briefly, before being overpowered, and found himself flying across the roof into one of the castle's minarets. Train gagged as he slammed into the brick at full force, blood flying from his lips. He had little time to react as Creed came flying forward at him and brought up Hades moments before the Imagine Blade came barreling down on him. The weapons clattered as they met, Train gritting his teeth as Creed pushed his blade ever closer,

"Why are you so _afraid _of me, Train!? Our reunion is_ beautiful_, is it not!?"

Train grunted as he felt the blade press against his chin, desperately trying to push it away. A bead of sweat trailed down his cheek.

He couldn't push him away. Creed was growing stronger by the second, and he...

_...he was growing weaker._

~ø~

**12:42pm**

Merrick let out a horrific cry of pain as he clawed at his head; eyes squeezed shut. It burned. Everything burned. He could see everything, everywhere; happening all at once. Jessica had just defeated two highly skilled Erasers single handed. The man he believed they called Emilio, now balding for some reason, was firing arrows at a tall, dark-skinned man yielding a spiked whip. There were two battles going at the main lab entrance; between the people called Numbers and a group of sweepers lead by Eve's little blue-haired friend, and those defending the lab. He could see a strange black vortex as the visions went deeper, and Train, trapped in some alternate reality fighting a strangely dressed man with white hair. The strangest of these visions, however, was the simplest image of a brick wall. And in the midst of all of it, whirling and zipping through his brain, he could see Eve being beaten horribly by the man he used to call 'father'.

She let out another scream as she went sailing across the room, smashing into the mirrored wall opposite of the network that Merrick had just moments ago been trapped in. Her body was covered in gashes and bruises; her clothes tattered and torn. She gasped for air as she pushed herself up again; blood leaking down her forehead into her eyes.

Her body shook from the pain. Her heart raced in fear. She couldn't win against him. He knew everything she was going to do before she did it. He was too strong.

The girl frowned. How was he doing that? She had disconnected the wires hooking Merrick into the network. He shouldn't have been able to access the vision eye anymore, and yet...

Merrick was screaming; writhing in pain. His body was shaking and the cries...his terrible cries...

Her mouth went dry as she went to speak, Warren smirking down at her wildly,

"After four years of having to put up with Vollfied's numerous attempts to escape, you think I'd be so stupid as to use the same set up? That's what you were going to ask me, wasn't it? Little mouse...?"

Eve swallowed hard as she lifted her gaze to Warren, her body trembling. He giggled softly,

"I decided it would be best to install a WiFi nano-receptor at the base of the boy's brain. It allows me to access the Vision Eye Network at any time, any place. I figured it would be useful if he tried to escape from here...it looks like I was correct."

The boy let out another wail of agony and Eve bit her lip, shaking her head,

"But he's your own son...! You're _killing_ him-!"

"Nonsense," Warren interjected, glaring down at Merrick,

"He ceased being my son _long _ago."

~ø~

** 12:43pm**

Li cursed as he side-stepped Kranz, sending Seiren sailing toward the man's back. Kranz leapt away just in time, only to be caught in the leg by Excelion's wires. With a wiggle of his fingers, Jenos sent the visored man sailing into the brush.

A few feet away, Sephiria raised Icthus to counter Baldor's Heimdall; the chain entwining itself around her blade. Pulling back on Heimdall, Sephiria flew forward at Baldor at full speed and a smug smirk crossed Baldor's lips. The woman narrowed her eyes, and at the last second, pulled herself up so that the heel of her boot connected with his forehead. He released Ichthus as he staggered backward and Sephiria, landing a few feet away, took no time in charging him. Baldor grinned as she came dashed toward him; readying Heimdall for round 2.

Leon straightened as he and the other sweepers watched from the sidelines. Turning back, he motioned to them with a nod,

"C'mon, I think they've got this covered."

Kevin nodded shortly,

"Yeah, I think you're right."

All in agreement, the group rushed past the battling Numbers and made their way to the tunnel entrance...

~ø~

**12:44pm**

_"Believe it or not, Sven," _Lloyd began, the wind tousling his hair,

_"You're the glue that's been holding everything together. Without you...this world is done for."_

The lime-haired man straightened at that, then turned his gaze to the bloodied wrench in his hand. With a deep breath, he tossed it into the air, letting it come back down into his hand as he turned back to the brick wall. Closing his eyes, he smirked slightly, then reared back and slammed the wrench into the wall.

_**KRRK.**_

A huge crack formed upon impact. He grinned at that and slammed it into the wall a second time.

_**KRRR-KAK.**_

The crack grew larger, and Lloyd smiled as he watched the lime-haired man continue to hack away at it. In a matter of moments, the crack had expanded; taking up the entirety of the wall. Sven reared back once more, this time hurling the wrench into the brick with a triumphant yell.

_**KRAAAAAAACK!**_

Stepping back, he watched the wall crumble to his feet and in its place shone a brilliant white light. Just beyond the wall sat a silver briefcase and he strode over to it silently; grabbing it by the handle. He reached up and tugged down on his hat, gazing downward,

"You know how much I hate goodbyes...so I'll just leave it at 'Thanks'."

Lloyd smiled at that. Stepping forward, Sven started toward the light, stopping short at the sound of a feminine voice,

_"Little Gentleman."_

He spun around, his eye widening at the sight of a young woman with long brown hair. She wore a solid blue nurse's uniform and held a clipboard in her arms. Turning to face her, he straightened; gazing at her in shock,

"Sarah..."

Sarah smiled, squeezing the clipboard as she called to him,

_"Please, save my boys. If anyone can...it's you."_

With a smile, he nodded shortly at her and turned back for the light...

~ø~

**12:45pm**

"Where are they shooting from!"

Susan shouted, ducking behind the bar as bullets poured in through the windows. Annette was crouched by the window; shotgun in hand,

"The rooftops. They must have set up snipers."

Raising up a bit, she fired a few rounds through one of the large holes in the shattered window, but did not hit anything. She cursed as she crouched back down and reloaded,

"I can't see a damn one of them. We're sitting ducks here."

"You've gotta be kidding," Rinslet shouted, kneeling by the other window with a pistol in hand,

"Where'd what's his face go!"

"I haven't seen him since we brought the girl back inside," Annette replied, taking another few shots toward the rooftops as they came upon a brief moment of stillness,

"How's she doing by the way, Blondie?"

Susan bit her lip as she glanced down beside her at the young brunette. She was still unconscious; her arms and legs covered in cuts and bruises,

"She's still out!"

"Damn," Rinslet yelped, a bullet sailing through the window,

"Don't they ever quit!"

"Not till we're all dead, sweetheart."

"Oh, that's comforting."

The lavender-haired woman swallowed hard and shook her head, groaning in annoyance,

"Things just can't get any worse, can they?"

~ø~

_BEEP._

A twitch of a hand.

_**"Don't you give up. Don't you dare give up!"**_

_BEEP._

A flicker of an eyelid.

_**"Sven...I need you!"**_

_BEEP._

_**"Please save my boys. If anyone can...its you."**_

With a deep gasp of air, he reached up and grabbed hold of his ventilator...

~ø~

_**BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR RR.**_

Susan's eyes widened as the solid tone sounded through the café; her eyes turning toward the kitchen,

"Wh-What...?"

Annette's mouth fell open as she too turned her head toward the source of the tone; her heart sinking into her stomach,

"That's..."

Without a second thought, Rinslet jumped up from her spot and ran as fast as she could toward the back room; her heart racing,

"Sven!"

As she reached the doorway, she came to a sudden halt; her body completely frozen,

"N-No...no way..."

She took a step forward, disappearing into the kitchen,

"Sven, h-he's... gone."

~ø~

Kyoko straightened as she thought she saw a blur of green and white speed past her; the faint scent of cigarettes trailing behind in its wake. She blinked, glancing around in confusion as Charden fought off an Eraser behind her,

"Huh?"

~ø~

_'"Mister Whiskers?"'_

The first car he came across was a yellow porsche. He knew this car. It was Rinslet's car. It didn't really matter who it belonged to, though. It just needed to get him where he needed to be; get him there and fast. Without a moment's hesitation, he had the sports car hot-wired and ready to drive. He slammed his foot on the gas.

_'Eve...'_

He could still hear her screams in his head; the shrill, painfulness of them chilling his spine. He narrowed his eyes.

_'...I'm coming! Just hold on!'_

~ø~

Rinslet straightened as she heard the sound of tires screeching and she ran to the alley. Her eyes widened as she spotted her car driving off down the street, a man with long jade hair at the wheel,

"No way..."

Annette appeared in the doorway, deep frown on her face,

"What the hell's going on!? Where's Sven!?"

Rinslet turned to her; her jaw set in anger...

~ø~

_**'"THAT HALF DEAD SKELETON STOLE MY CAR!"'**_

* * *

**A/N: You have no idea how good it feels to finally be writing this part after five years of dreaming about it. OH. MY. GAWWWWWWWWWWWD.  
**

**EDIT - AUGUST 8TH: Fixed the inconsistency with Rinslet's magically shapeshifting car. She's back to driving a porsche again. Not a camaro. LOL  
Holy shit, Sven stole a porsche...  
**


	62. LIII

** LIII**

** 12:45pm**

_ BEE-BEE-BEEP. BEE-BEE-BEEP._

Warren glanced down at his watch, his eyes widening in surprise. He began to cackle; his head craning back with the force of his laughter. Eve tensed as she watched him, slowly inching her way across the floor toward Merrick. If she could just get to him, maybe she could somehow disable the nano-receptor Warren had planted in him.

"Yes," Warren exclaimed with glee, a sigh of relief escaping him,

"Yes! I've done it! I won!"

With a grunt, Eve pushed herself up and crawled at full speed toward the writhing boy, nearly reaching him before being smacked away by a lengthy, grey tendril. She let out a cry as she hit the ground face first; her head spinning. Warren continued to chuckle, his eyes dancing in excitement,

"It's over...it's finally over! My torment..."

Eve stiffened as he continued, her heart dropping at his words,

"Sven Vollfied is finally dead!"

His cackles sent chills down her spine...

~ø~

He slammed on the brake outside of a charred building and clambered out of the car. His footing was off. Staggering to the parking garage next to the caved in structure, he began scanning the area. He spotted it at the end of the lot; a beat up blue Omni covered in dust and grime. He was almost glad to see it..._almost. _He still missed his convertible, but debts were debts and they needed to be paid.

This car was a cheaper choice, though far less reliable. Slamming his fist down on the trunk, he smiled as it popped open; eyes settling on a solid black garment bag and the silver briefcase beside it...

~ø~

Jenos cursed as he tightened his grip on the wound in his neck; leaping back and away as Kranz charged. Li intercepted, turning back to the mahogany-haired man with a frown,

"Are you all right, Hazard!?"

The man gave a short nod, wincing slightly,

"He got me better than I thought, but I'm okay! Don't get distracted!"

The raven-haired man straightened as Kranz zipped around behind him, eyes narrowing as he sent Seiren sailing after him.

"You can still stop this, Baldorias," Sephiria began, holding Icthus in both hands as she crouched down defensively,

"There's no need for this senseless fighting!"

She slashed at Heimdall as it flew toward her; sending it away into the trunk of a nearby tree.

"You're a good soldier. You've got a good head on your shoulders. Think about it! Is this the Chronos you want to serve? The Chronos that needlessly starts wars and destroys lives? Don't you remember what you used to fight for? Yes, we got our hands dirty...we killed and sometimes wars did start...but it was all for the greater good! The ultimate goal; peace-"

"And just what do you think I'm fighting for _now_, Sephiria," Baldor snapped, spitting his gum into the grass as he glared her down,

"Yeah, I've gotta kill a lot of people...but I'm laying down the law. _Someone_ has to. Warren's made that clear to all of us."

Calling back Heimdall, Baldor started forward; their weapons clashing loudly throughout the clearing,

"Warren's ultimate goal is to achieve world peace! And look at his success rate! The wars overseas have stopped-"

"They've only stopped because they are _afraid_," Sephiria shrieked, her eyes narrowing to slits,

"_Oppressing_ whole civilisations does _not_ equal_ peace_!"

"Says _you_!"

He tugged back on Heimdall's chain, the weapon wrapping itself around her suddenly. With a strong pull, he swung Sephiria into the air; sending her flying across the clearing and into the bushes.

Jenos straightened as he spotted the blur of the woman pass overhead, his eyes wide in surprise,

"Sephiria!"

Grunting softly, Sephiria pushed herself up from the shrubbery and, with Ichthus in both hands; sighed heavily,

"All right then. If that is how you truly feel..."

Opening her eyes, she glared him down; her words cold and stern,

"I will waste no more time, then. For the betterment of this world, I, Sephiria Arks, _Number I_ of the _Chronos Numbers_, will cut you down."

Baldor grinned at this, swinging Heimdall vigorously at his side as she started toward him.

He threw the orichalcum ball at her full force, straightening as she disappeared before his eyes.

His eyes widened then, as he felt a blade slash across his back.

Kranz turned sharply as he heard Baldor let out a curse; eyes wide as he watched the man fall swiftly to the ground,

"_BALDORIAS-_"

"I don't think so."

He halted as he felt the pressing of cold metal at his throat, Nizer now blocking his path,

"Forgot I was here, did you?"

Baldor grunted as he started to push himself up, swallowing hard as the tip of a sharp blade came into his vision.

"Enough."

He followed the blade back up to Sephiria, who was glaring coldly down at him,

"It's time to end this."

She raised her blade above her head, narrowing her eyes,

"Goodbye...Baldorias."

~ø~

"What...what are you talking about...? What do you mean _'Sven's dead'_!?"

Warren laughed at the girl's desperate yell, his sapphire eyes wild and crazed as he turned his gaze to her,

"Exactly as I said, little mouse. Dead. Cold as stone. I had the boy check into it earlier..."

She turned her head, gazing at Merrick in horror. The boy was still writhing, his cries of agony sounding more and more desperate as the minutes passed.

"As of approximately 2 minutes ago... Sven Vollfied took _leave _of this world. I _personally_ saw it happen. That_ nuisance _is no more."

Eve bit her lip; her body beginning to tremble. With a grief-stricken cry, she pushed herself up in a burst of anger; transforming her hair into a long blade.

She slashed at Warren; tears streaming down her cheeks as she screamed incoherently through her sobs. Warren easily side-stepped her attacks, and, taking a swipe of his own, cut her blade in two. Startled by this, Eve leapt back and held up her hand. A silver dagger morphed out from her palm, and, breaking it free from her hand, she took it in her grasp; hurling it directly at Warren's heart. He smacked it away, a smirk on his face as Merrick let out a cry behind him,

"Have you forgotten already, little mouse? The boy is providing me a window of the future. Your attacks are completely futile."

Eve bit her lip as she looked over at the muddy-haired boy, her heart racing. Blood trickled down from his nose and mouth as he groaned. His body shook from the pain. She couldn't even imagine what he was feeling; the kind of agony he was in.

As if sensing her eyes on him, the boy let out a desperate shout; his voice shaky and cracking,

"EVE, _GO_! JUST RUN AWAY...!"

"_No_," she screamed back, bringing up her arms to form a shield as Warren sent his new elongated arms flying toward her,

"I'm not leaving you here!"

The boy grit his teeth as the visions kept coming. He could no longer make sense of them all; they were nothing but a whirling mess of colour.

The only thing he could see was that Eve was going to lose...and there was nothing he could do about it.

~ø~

Kanzaki shook his head as he watched the left screen; the boy's screams permeating the observation room,

"At this rate, he'll turn the boy's mind to mush in a matter of minutes. Oh, well. I tried to warn him."

He then turned his attention to the right screen, a smile crossing his lips as he watched Train struggle in his fight against Creed,

"Well, Black Cat...how will you fair against your demons, now? I'm curious..."

~ø~

"Why are you so _afraid _of me, Train!? Our reunion is_ beautiful_, is it not!?"

Train grunted as he felt Creed's blade press against his chin, desperately trying to push it away. A bead of sweat trailed down his cheek.

He couldn't push him away.

"Don't _fight _it, Train! These _feelings_! Allow yourself to come back! To rise from the ashes like the glorious phoenix you once were! My _angel_ of_ death_...!"

The blade was nearing his eyes now. He couldn't hold him off anymore.

"They aren't here to hold you back! That witch...your partner! Nothing is standing in your way! So, come back! Come back to me, Black Cat!"

He was going to lose.

_**"TRAIN!"**_

His eyes widened as he glanced behind the silver-haired man. There stood Sven a few feet away, still giving him a stern look.

Train shook his head, his teeth grinding together as he fought off the Imagine Blade,

"Sven...can you maybe give me a hand, here!?"

The lime-haired man shook his head, calmly taking a puff off a cigarette,

_**"Nope."**_

"Are you serious!? You're just gonna let him _kill _me!?"

_**"What's with the belly-aching," **_Sven grumbled in annoyance,

_**"You never needed me before. Why now? Can't the 'Black Cat' win his own battles?"**_

Train winced as he felt the blade slip closer to his face and swallowed hard, his tone defeated,

"What...? No, Sven, I-I-"

_**"You what?"**_

The chestnut-haired man let out a yelp as the Imagine Blade shifted, cutting deep into his shoulder instead. Shoving Creed away, he fired off a couple shots; both of which missed. Turning to Sven, he shook his head,

"When did I ever say I didn't need you!? Where'd you even _get_ that?"

_**"The moment you put that coat back on."**_

Train straightened at that, glancing down at his clothes as Sven continued,

_**"When you did that, you threw everyone who cared about you to the curb. Including me..."**_

"No! The only reason I went back was because-"

_**"If you say it was because of me, I swear to God, Train, I will slap you so hard all of Chronos will feel it."**_

The chestnut-haired man swallowed hard, his gaze dropping shamefully as the man pressed further,

_**"Be honest. You didn't do this for me. You didn't do this for Eve, either. You did this because you were upset. You didn't get your way, and now you're throwing a tantrum-"**_

"Are you calling me a _baby_!?"

_**"Well, if you'd stop acting like one-"**_

"I'm NOT acting like one!"

"Train..."

Train spun around to see Creed standing behind him; scowl on his face,

"What is _he_ doing here, Train?"

_**"Yeah, Train. What am I doing here?"**_

Turning back to Sven, he shook his head in confusion,

"The hell if I know! You just showed up here by yourself!"

_**"Nothing in this place happens by itself, Train. You make it all happen."**_

Creed snarled, his eyes beginning to darken,

"Make him go _away_, Train. He's ruining_ everything_!"

"If _that _were true," the chestnut-haired man scoffed, jabbing his thumb back in Creed's direction,

"I would have smeared his face across the floor a while ago."

_**"Then, why are you letting him win?"**_

Train stopped at that, his mind racing.

He was _letting_ Creed win?

~ø~

Fastening the last button of his coat, he picked up the briefcase and slammed the trunk shut. He then turned and started back for the porsche, halting as he saw his reflection in the side mirror. The suit was like a bag on him now. His spare hat seemed to swallow his entire head, and his hair...

Shaking his head, he went back to the Omni and glanced in the backseat. Opening the door, he scooped up a zebra-striped scrunchi from the floor and sighed deeply as he pulled it back into a ponytail. It was slightly embarrassing to wear a little girl's hair accessory, but it would have to do for now. Heading back for the porsche, he nodded at his reflection this time and shrugged,

"It's a little better...I guess."

Setting the silver briefcase in the seat beside him, he started the car again and slammed his foot down on the gas. Luckily for him, the last place Rinslet had programmed into her GPS was the exact place he needed to go...

~ø~

"Goodbye...Baldorias."

She swung down, and Baldor prepared himself for the finishing blow. After a few seconds, it hadn't come and he looked up, eyebrow raised curiously. There stood Jenos, between him and the blade, holding Sephiria back. Sephiria straightened, her eyes wide at this action,

"Hazard...what do you think you're doing? Unhand me, now!"

"Sorry, Sephy...can't do that," he winced, gripping the wound on his neck tightly.

He grinned, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek as he glanced down at Baldor,

"Maybe I'm just getting soft...but I don't think killing them is the right thing to do."

The woman frowned, glancing down at Baldor as well,

"No? They've killed millions of people and have shown no remorse for it. What do you suggest, if not death?"

Jenos frowned, shaking his head,

"Let them live with it. Let them spend the rest of their lives in a cell to stew it over. That sounds pretty good, doesn't it?"

Li frowned at the tone in the man's voice. He sounded weak.

Sephiria sighed deeply, contemplating it for a moment. Then, finally, she nodded and lowered her hand,

"I suppose we could try that. If they complicate things further for us, however, it's immediate execution."

Nizer grinned as he and Li restrained Kranz, disarming him as they walked him over to the now equally helpless Baldor,

"You're starting to sound like Heartnet used to, Hazard. You wanna tell us something?"

Jenos smirked, glancing over at Nizer with a chuckle,

"Just like I said...getting soft, I guess."

Suddenly, he dropped to his knee and Li gasped, straightening in surprise,

"Hazard-!"

"I'm fine," he began, smiling weakly,

"Just a little woozy."

With a quick flick of Excelion, he took Kranz and pulled him over to Baldor; tying them both up in the wires. He then nodded to the group, sighing deeply,

"Tell you what...I'll stay out here and babysit the_ kiddies_. You three go stop Warren... that is, if Heartnet's not gotten to him first."

Sephiria knelt down beside him, carefully putting a hand on his shoulder,

"Will you be all right out here? Should I stay with you?"

The mahogany-haired man grinned, shaking his head quickly,

"Nah, don't worry, Sephy! I'm just a little _woozy_, I told you."

Helping him over to a nearby tree, Nizer frowned,

"You sure you'll be okay?"

"Yeah," Jenos winced, leaning back carefully against the tree trunk as he sat down,

"Now go on. All of you. Hurry before that kid winds up like Vollfied."

Nodding shortly, the three Numbers started toward the entrance.

Leaning his head back, Jenos let out a deep sigh and turned his gaze to the clouds,

"Let's hope _someone_ can stop him...before it's too late."

_CRASH._

Jenos straightened at the sound of a loud wreck; tensing as he turned at the sound of crunching metal. A few mumbled curses rang through the air, and he raised an eyebrow curiously. Seconds later, a man in a ridiculously baggy suit came stumbling out of the woods, his shaggy, jade hair tied back in a ponytail. It looked as though it was taking all of his strength to stay on his feet; not to mention to keep a large, silver briefcase from falling out of his grasp. The mahogany-haired man stared at him blankly, eyes wide in shock,

"No way..."

The jade-haired man turned in his direction, then, and sure enough, the skeletal-looking man was sporting an eye patch on his right eye. Jenos blinked at him; stunned,

_**'"Vollfied!?"'**_

~ø~

The three Chronos Numbers hurried down the hall way, cutting down any and all Erasers who crossed their path. They had no time to waste. Warren was getting more powerful by the minute. As they turned the corner toward the lab stairwell, Li stopped; his eyes widening.

Sephiria took a step forward toward the door and the raven-haired man straightened, shaking his head furiously,

"Sephiria, wait!"

She opened it before he could reach her and stepped inside; disappearing into blackness. Nizer straightened and started for the door in a panic,

"Sephiria!"

Li quickly grabbed a hold of him, keeping him from entering the room,

"No! Don't follow her!"

"But what the hell just happened, Li!? Where did Sephiria go!?"

Li narrowed his eyes as he raised his gaze to the 'Operating Room' sign above the door.

~ø~

Sephiria straightened as she found herself in an open field. The grass was tall and gold; littered with wild flowers. Snow-capped mountains stood tall in the distance. She shook her head. This place...she hadn't been there since she was a child.

_"Sephiria."_

She straightened at the sound of a voice and, glancing around, spotted a man standing at the far end of the field. Her eyes widened as he turned to her; his long, sandy-blonde hair fluttering in the breeze.

"Belze...?"

~ø~

"EVE, _PLEASE_! JUST GO!"

Merrick screamed again, blood splashing onto his lips. The blonde shook her head violently, a tear escaping her as she screamed back,

"I _won't_! I'm not letting you die, _too_!"

She turned her body to steel as Warren shot his arms out at her, their bladed edges cutting right through the metal like butter. A cry of pain escaped her as he then wrapped one of the arms around her neck; hurling her across the room.

As the dust settled, she found herself staring blankly up at the ceiling. It was hopeless. She really _couldn't_ win.

Weakly, she rolled over and again tried to get up; gasping as a boot suddenly came down on her head. Pinning her to the floor, Warren grinned and raised a bladed arm into the air,

"Goodbye, little mouse. It was a fun game."

Eve bit her lip, her eyes fixing on Merrick. He was struggling to look at her; tears rolling down his cheeks as he painfully grasped his head.

She felt a tear or two hit her eyes as well and squeezed them shut as Warren brought down his blade...

_** "EVE!"**_


	63. LIV

**LIV**

"The hell-I'm not _letting_ him _win_!"

_**"Oh really? 'Cause from here it looks like you're getting your ass handed to you."**_

Train rolled his eyes at that and shook his head in frustration,

"Oh, and I suppose _you _could do better?"

_**"Y'know, I probably could."**_

"Oh, _really_!?"

_**"Yeah, really," **_the lime-haired man shouted, tossing his cigarette aside,

_**"'Cause, I'd have my **_**partner **_**there to back me up."**_

The chestnut-haired man straightened at that, his gaze falling sadly,

"Sven...you'd _be _here! You _would_ if it wasn't-"

_**"I wasn't talking about me."**_

Sven scowled at him; grip tightening on his weapon case,

_**"Eve is your partner, too. Or did you forget all about her?"**_

Train swallowed hard, his stomach churning as he lowered his head,

"Princess..."

_'"We can still take him down as partners...like Sven would want."'_

_**"But did you listen to her? No. And now she's off fighting Warren all by herself-"**_

"She's _what_...!?"

"_Train_," Creed seethed, his eyes beginning to burn with rage,

"I'm getting impatient with you...if you won't get rid of him..."

Power surged throughout the area, the air seeming to ripple with electricity as it swirled around the silvery-haired man. The Imagine Blade grew to enormous size, melding with Creed's body as the man wept; his tears flying upward in a spiral around him,

"THEN, I _**WILL**__!_"

~ø~

"_Vollfied!?_"

Sven straightened as he spotted the man sitting by the tree. His suit was soaked with blood, and he was beginning to look terribly pale. Hobbling over to him quickly, he pulled out a handkerchief and knelt down; carefully moving his hand as he pressed it to the wound,

"Here, try that."

Jenos winced, coughing shortly as he placed his hand back down on it,

"Thanks."

"Where's everyone else?"

The mahogany-haired man nodded to the two Numbers sitting in the grass a few feet away, a smirk on his face,

"I told Sephiria I'd babysit the twins while they went on ahead. Heartnet's already inside...so is Eve."

Sven nodded as he glanced over at the entrance,

"I see."

He started to get up, Jenos quickly clearing his throat,

"Hey, could you do something for me before you go?"

The jade-haired man raised an eyebrow as he turned back, the man smiling weakly,

"Could you grab my phone? It's in my left pocket. I wanna check on someone..."

"Sure."

He reached over and rifled from the man's coat, handing it too him with a frown,

"Maybe you should call an ambulance, too. You don't look so good."

"Says the man who looks like a walking _skeleton_."

Sven scowled at that and carefully rose to his feet, sighing deeply,

"Well, I'm off. Take care of yourself."

"Will do."

Jenos watched him stagger toward the entrance, an uneasy feeling coming over him,

"Hey, Vollfied!"

The jade-haired man glanced back at him, the wind softly picking up. Jenos smiled,

"If anyone can stop Heartnet...it's you. Just make sure you get there before he does something stupid."

Nodding shortly, Sven turned back for the entrance. He was gone in a blur; Jenos letting out a whistle,

"_Impressive_..."

He then glanced down and flipped open his phone.

Scrolling down to the contacts, he highlighted the first name on the list and pressed the 'compose message' button.

~ø~

Rinslet gasped as her phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket, and groaned, pulling it out carefully while trying to stay out of the window. She jumped as a bullet ricocheted of the window sill, and spun, firing a few rounds from her pistol back at their invisible attackers. She grinned as she saw someone fall from the closest rooftop, and turned back to her phone, staring at it blankly.

It was a message from Jenos. Swallowing hard, she opened it, her heart racing. Was he in trouble again?

She groaned as she read it aloud, her eyebrow twitching,

"How's it going..._baby cakes_!?"

~ø~

Jenos smiled to himself as he received a message back, and opening it, he laughed. It simply read;

_**'"NOT NOW, JENOS."'**_

Sighing, he typed in another message, letting his hand fall to his lap as he turned his gaze to the sky. The wind had picked up a bit, warm as it weaved through the trees in the forest. He smiled,

"What a nice breeze..."

~ø~

Li scowled as he shook his head, sighing deeply,

"We'll have to find a way around it. If we go through, we'll be caught in the same trap as Sephiria."

"But what the hell is it," Nizer growled, glaring at the door angrily,

"Where does that door lead?"

The raven-haired man turned to him, starting passed him quickly,

"To your own personal _hell_. Now, follow me. If I remember correctly, there's a back entrance to the lab down one of these tunnels."

Nizer nodded shortly, following close behind him,

"Right."

~ø~

Sephiria straightened as the man turned to her, her eyes wide in shock,

"Belze...?"

He smiled at her. She smiled back.

Suddenly, the field became engulfed in flames and the woman let out a shriek, shaking her head as she ran forward,

"Belze, no!"

He was standing in the middle of the fire, his skin beginning to bubble and melt away. As she ran closer, he seemed to get further and further away, and a voice overhead began to mock her,

_"No matter how hard you try, you cannot save them. In the end, they will all fall prey to the same cruel fate. You are not strong enough."_

She felt tears hitting her eyes as he melted away and in his place stood a little girl with blond hair. She held a sword in her tiny hands, her face covered in blood. Her blue eyes were void of humanity, and a collar and chain swung from her tiny neck. She stopped in her tracks, gazing at the child fearfully.

_"If you come with me, I can make you stronger," _the voice beckoned,

_"All you need do...is pledge absolute fealty to Chronos..."_

~ø~

"_Train_," Creed seethed, his eyes beginning to burn with rage,

"I'm getting impatient with you...if you won't get rid of him..."

Power surged throughout the area, the air seeming to ripple with electricity as it swirled around the silvery-haired man. The Imagine Blade grew to enormous size, melding with Creed's body as the man wept; his tears flying upward in a spiral around him,

"THEN, I _**WILL**__!_"

Train narrowed his eyes as he turned back toward Creed, a smirk creeping across his face,

"Hey, Sven, you got any spare bullets on you? You know...the _special_ kind?"

_**"Check your right coat pocket."**_

Glancing down, he smiled as he reached his hand into the pocket and pulled out a small, brass bullet with a red tip. Loading it into the pistol, he aimed it at Creed, his golden eyes glowing as brightly as his grin,

"Hey, Creed!"

Creed straightened as he eyed the pistol pointed at him; eyebrow raising curiously.

Train snorted at his hurt expression, his now, half-length, blue coat flapping in the strength of the winds spiralling around them,

"I've come to deliver some_ bad luck_."

**_KABANG._**

The bullet exploded as it met Creed's body; the man shrieking loudly as he shattered like shards of a mirror,

"_NOOO!_"

As the winds died down, Train slipped Hades back into it's holster on his right leg; the bell around his neck jingling softly in the breeze.

After a moment, he sighed and turned back to look at Sven,

"You always know when to bail me out...don't you, Svenny-"

He straightened, his heart falling as he gazed at the empty space where Sven once stood.

Just a few feet away stood a set of doors with a large 'Operating Room' sign over top of them. Nodding shortly, he took a deep breath and bolted for the doors; bursting through them at full speed,

"On my way, Princess!"

He didn't see the woman he left standing in the room. She smiled; the sleeves of her kimono flapping gently at her sides,

_"Good luck, Train."_

-ø-

Train sighed as he stepped out from the operating room door, finding himself back at the stairwell. The doors disappeared as they closed behind him and he shook his head, glancing down at the gun in his right hand. He opened the barrel, sighing as he found it still fully loaded. He was back in his trench coat as well, and the bell around his neck was nowhere to be found,

"It really _was_ just an illusion...guess that figures."

He then smiled, shaking his head with a sad chuckle,

"Even when it's all in my head, I still need you to save my sorry ass."

He paused, almost as if he were waiting for a response. The air was still. He let out a deep sigh,

"Thanks...Sven."

"Thanks, for_ what_?"

Train straightened, his eyes widening in shock as he slowly turned around. He couldn't believe what he saw.

_**Or rather, who...**_

His cream-coloured suit hung off of him like a tent. He'd tied his faded, jade hair back into a ponytail. He stared at him blankly with one brown eye, the other blocked by a solid black eyepatch. And his fedora, even though it seemed to swallow him now, was resting in its usual spot atop his head. It must have been one of his spares, as it was not marred by the colour of blood and it looked practically pristine.

The chestnut-haired man felt his mouth drop open, but nothing came out. He found he couldn't speak at all.

The jade-haired man raised an eyebrow at him then, his tone filed with concern,

"That coat..."

Train frowned in confusion. Suddenly, the man charged forward, sending his fist smashing into Train's face with all his strength. Train staggered backward, falling to the ground with a grunt. Grabbing his cheek, he looked up at the man with an angry glare,

"WHAT THE HELL WAS _THAT_ FOR!?"

"YOU KNOW _DAMN _WELL WHAT THAT WAS FOR, YOU _DUMBASS_," Sven shouted, holding his hand awkwardly.

It throbbed in protest as he tried to move his fingers and he let out an aggravated growl,

"_Great_! This is _perfect_! I think I just _broke _my hand on your _face_!"

"Well, whose fault is that, _genius_!? Did I _ask_ you to punch me!?"

"_No,_ but you were_ asking for it_!"

They both paused and glared at each other silently.

After a moment or two, Train began to snicker, his eyes tearing up as he shook his head,

"Look at us...it's like you were never gone."

"Sure doesn't _feel_ that way to me."

Sven cleared his throat then, grunting softly as he hobbled on passed Train,

"C'mon, let's get going."

The chestnut-haired man nodded, a grin crossing his lips as he quickly wiped his eyes free of tears,

"Right. Let's go get our girl, Svenny-baby."

"Don't call me that."

~ø~

"EVE, _PLEASE_! JUST GO!"

Merrick screamed again, blood splashing onto his lips. The blonde shook her head violently, a tear escaping her as she screamed back,

"I _won't_! I'm not letting _you_ die, _too_!"

She turned her body to steel as Warren shot his arms out at her, their bladed edges cutting right through the metal like butter. A cry of pain escaped her as he then wrapped one of the arms around her neck; hurling her across the room.

As the dust settled, she found herself staring blankly up at the ceiling. It was hopeless. She really _couldn't_ win.

Weakly, she rolled over and again tried to get up; gasping as a boot suddenly came down on her head. Pinning her to the floor, Warren grinned and raised a bladed arm into the air,

"Goodbye, little mouse. It was a fun game."

Eve bit her lip, her eyes fixing on Merrick. He was struggling to look at her; tears rolling down his cheeks as he painfully grasped his head.

She felt a tear or two hit her eyes as well and squeezed them shut as Warren brought down his blade.

_** "EVE!"**_

The girl gasped, her eyes shooting open at the sound of a sudden voice. She knew that voice...

Warren halted his attack as he heard a strange clatter on the ground behind him, raising an eyebrow curiously. A small, silver canister lie behind him; a laughing cat painted on it's side. It suddenly began to fizzle and a thick cloud of smoke began to leak from it's nozzle; quickly filling the room.

_**RA-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT.**_

The girl jumped, startled by the sound of bullets tink-ing against metal. Warren, now distracted by the gunfire, took his foot off of her head and cursed, narrowing his eyes,

"What the hell-!?"

Quickly, Eve scooped herself up off of the floor and darted toward the muddy-haired boy; crawling up beside him. He was still groaning; his body convulsing with agony.

_**POP**_**-**_**FIZZ-!**_

Warren cursed as the computers on the wall began to spark and short out; his eyes burning with rage,

"NO! THE NETWORK!"

Eve gasped as Merrick suddenly fell limp, her eyes widening as she pulled him into her arms,

"Merrick..._Merrick_!?"

"Hey, Warren..."

She straightened as she saw a figure through the fog, his billowing trench coat making her tense. He smirked, swinging Hades by the cord as he ran forward,

"I've got a special order of bad luck...just for_ you_!"

He leapt into the air and tossed Hades forward. It smacked Warren square in the forehead and the man stumbled back, both of them disappearing into the smoke.

The girl gasped as she heard footsteps coming quickly toward her and tensed, holding the unconscious boy tightly to her. She readied her hair into a fist. She didn't know what to expect as she spotted their silhouette...and she certainly wasn't expecting who appeared.

Her eyes widened as he knelt down in front of her, handkerchief in hand as he dabbed gently at the gash on her forehead,

"Eve...are you all right?"

She stared at him blankly, her skin turning white in shock. She couldn't believe it. It was just...it wasn't possible.

"I came as fast as I could. You're not too hurt are you?"

Tears hit her eyes as he continued to fret over her and her mouth fell open; drying as she stuttered,

"S-Sven? Is it...is it really...?"

Sven smiled at that, running his hand gently over her hair with a nod. To that, she started to laugh, tears freely flowing down her cheeks as she gazed up at him. He was real. He was really there this time.

Her eyes widened as something flew just past her head; heart stopping as it latched itself onto Sven's neck and tore him away from her. The jade-haired man disappeared into the smoke cloud, Eve letting out a shriek as his fedora rolled to a stop at her feet...

_** "SVEN!"**_

* * *

**A/N: DUN-DUN-DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUN.  
**

**I was trying so hard to get this done by the 20th, but sadly, I don't think it's gonna happen and I'm not waiting another year to finish this story.  
Having it run from August 20th 2007 - August 20th 2012 would have been pretty bitchin', though. Oh, well...  
**


	64. LV

** LV**

"I think we're lost."

The periwinkle-haired boy scowled as he followed behind the others down a long, dank tunnel. His eyes narrowed as the man with spiky, blonde hair turned to him; annoyed tone in his voice,

"No, we're_ not_! We're going the right way, I know it!"

"Really, River," Silphy groaned, rubbing her arm as it grew colder and colder,

"Did Warren _personally_ give you a_ layout _of the lab?"

"Well, no-"

"Do you have an impeccable sense of smell," Kevin groaned, rolling his eyes at the man's determined ignorance,

"Like a _bloodhound_?"

"_No..._"

"Then, how can you be certain we're going the right way!?"

"I JUST KNOW, OKAY!? A WARRIOR ALWAYS KNOWS WHEN HE'S GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION."

Shaking his head, Leon turned his hover board around and started back for the tunnel entrance,

"This is_ stupid_. I'm going back. I'll find Eve on my _own_."

"H-hey wait a minute, kid! Come back! We've gotta stick together!"

Leon glanced back at the spiky-haired man and snorted, again shaking his head,

"No, we _don't_. Why would I want to follow after a stupid, idiot like_ you_? You don't even listen..."

River froze, feeling his soul shatter a little as the boy turned and floated back down the tunnel. With a sigh, both Silphy and Kevin turned back as well, following suit,

"Starting from the beginning sounds like a good idea."

The blonde man's jaw dropped as they started back as well, letting out a cry,

"Wha- hey, wait a minute!"

He started after them, frowning as he heard what sounded like rushing water nearby,

"Huh?"

There was nothing he could see behind him; just the darkness of the tunnel. Shaking his head, he followed after the group; letting out an exasperated growl,

"Wait up you, guys! _Uuuggh_!"

~ø~

"S-Sven? Is it...is it really...?"

Sven smiled at that, running his hand gently over her hair with a nod. To that, she started to laugh, tears freely flowing down her cheeks as she gazed up at him. He was real. He was really there this time. After four, long years of wishing and searching...

Her eyes widened as something flew just past her head; heart stopping as it latched itself onto Sven's neck and tore him away from her. The jade-haired man disappeared into the smoke cloud, Eve letting out a shriek as his fedora rolled to a stop at her feet,

"SVEN!"

The lime-haired man gagged as he was slammed back against the wall; a long, grey arm pinning him in place.

"Well, well," came a voice from the smoke cloud, followed by a pair of glowing red eyes,

"It seems our knight in shining armour has arrived...and here I was under the impression you were supposed to be_ dead_."

Warren scowled as he stepped out from the haze, tightening his grip on Sven's throat.

Cursing through his teeth, Sven clawed at the snake-like appendage, trying desperately to break free. He couldn't breath and his vision was beginning to blur. Warren grinned, his eyes becoming more and more crazed by the second,

"Look at you...how_ pathetic_. You couldn't beat me, then...did you really expect to win against me, _now_? In the _state_ you're in? How laughable..."

Eve gasped as the weapon case fell with a loud crash to the floor and tensed, keeping a hold of Merrick as she morphed her hair into a long blade,

"Sven-!"

"Don't try it, little mouse," Warren grinned, keeping his eyes locked on the jade-haired man in his clutches,

"One move...even an inch toward me and I'll snap his neck like a twig."

Sven let out a gasp as he felt the hand dig into his throat; his eyes beginning to water. Warren smirked, letting out a soft chuckle as the man continued to claw at his arm,

"Tell me, was _she_ worth it, Vollfied...? Was _she _worth any of this?"

A look of genuine confusion flashed briefly across Sven's face, as well as a grimace of pain. The raven-haired man scoffed at this, tightening his grip even further,

"Oh? You don't _remember_? How you _tore_ my family apart? Of course you _wouldn't_...an_ immoral _thing like that would go against your _'Gentleman's Code'_,so _obviously _you'd cast it _out _of your mind."

Sven stared at him blankly; his vision starting to black out. What was he talking about? He wasn't making any sense.

Warren again took notice of Sven's confused stare and snarled, his eyes burning brightly,

"No, nothing? Well, does the name '_Sarah_' ring any _bells_!?"

Pulling Sven back, he slammed him full force into the wall a second time. He then promptly let him go, dropping him to the floor in a crumpled heap. Eve let out a shout as he hit the ground, her eyes wide with fear,

"Sven!"

The jade-haired man coughed sharply as air hit his lungs; his body tensing as Warren knelt down in front of him. Warren smiled as the man struggled to lift his head; pain written clearly on his face,

"You _stole _my family from me, Vollfied...and do you know what? I'm almost_ glad _that vision was wrong, because now...I get to do the _exact_ same thing to you."

Warren rose to his feet, turning slowly to face Eve. He morphed his right hand into a scythe, letting it scrape along the floor as he approached her,

"My nanomachines are infused with orichalcum, making them completely indestructible, _meaning..._"

He stopped as he reached the frightened girl, eyes glowing vibrantly as he gazed down at her,

"...it will cut through her like _butter, _no matter _how _she tries to stop it!"

Eve swallowed hard at this and glanced over at Sven. He looked scared; more scared then she was.

He was frantically trying to get up and reach for the weapon case, but he couldn't move. Every time he did, he'd fall again, his face contorting in pain. She then turned her gaze back to Warren and leaned over Merrick; cradling him protectively as she turned her skin to steel.

He raised the scythe to strike...

~ø~

Rinslet jumped as another bullet hit the window sill, and turned to Annette, shaking her head,

"We're totally screwed! We can't even move!"

"Where are those two freaks you had outside with you?"

"Huh? You mean Kyoko and Charden? Probably still out there!"

Annette ducked as another bullet whizzed past her head; then fired a few more shots at the roof. A man in a black suit promptly fell to the ground, their sniper rifle falling alongside them. Rinslet blinked in surprise, turning back to Annette with a smile,

"Nice shot!"

They were met with a shower of bullets, Rinslet letting out a yelp as she again ducked down,

"Maybe I _could_ use you, right now!"

~ø~

_**VRRRRR-VRRRRRR.**_

Jenos raised an eyebrow as his phone began to vibrate and, with a weak flick of his thumb, opened the message he had just received.

He groaned, reading the word **'HELP'** and smiled a little,

"Playing the damsel in distress card, now, huh?"

As he began typing a new message to her, he heard a soft voice carry over from his captives,

"_Why_, Hazard?"

Jenos lifted his head a little, wincing as he pressed down on his wound,

"Why,_ what_?"

Baldor, refusing to look up, continued softly; a defeated tone in his voice,

"Why did you interfere? Why didn't you let Sephiria take my life? Dying in battle..._THAT_ would have been honourable-"

"Yeah,_ maybe_," the mahogany-haired man groaned, his phone falling to his side as he leaned back against the tree,

"But I don't think your buddy there would have been too happy about it."

He closed his eyes as the wind tousled his hair, a smile on his face,

"Now, how about you stop complaining about how Sephiria _let you live _and start thinking about what you're _both_ gonna do with the lives you've _still got_? Maybe Sephy might ease up on her punishment if you show a little remorse?"

"_Please_, Hazard," Baldor scoffed, turning his head away,

"I was only following orders."

"For a traitor to Chronos, you sound pretty noble-"

"It _was_ for Chronos!"

Jenos sighed at that,

"Do you really believe that? I mean, _really_?"

Baldor silenced.

"I didn't think so," the mahogany-haired man smirked, listening to the sound of the trees rustling,

"Now, shut up already. You're giving me a headache."

He leaned his head back again and closed his eyes.

After a moment, he swallowed hard.

_He'd forgotten to send Rinslet that text._

~ø~

Eve bit her lip as she formed her hair into a shield; Warren bringing his bladed arm down with all his might. The girl gasped as the steel shield cracked upon impact; shattering seconds later into a burst of golden hair. The scythe then bore down on her shoulder and she let out a painful cry as it smashed clean through the metallic shell, cutting into her flesh.

Sven cursed at the sound of her scream, reaching desperately for his weapon case. It was just out of arm's length and each time he made an attempt to crawl to it, his body would protest in a fit of pain.

Her screams continued as Warren relentlessly furthered his attacks, the scythe breaking through each new layer of steel that she produced,

"Give it up, _child_! It's hopeless for you!"

It was true. No matter how many layers of steel she created, he'd smashed through them all. Slowly, but surely, he was digging deeper and deeper in, and it would only be a matter of time until he cut her down. She, however, couldn't bring herself to give up, not when she still had to protect the unconscious boy lying in her arms. And not when she finally had Sven back...

Sven grit his teeth as the attacks continued, and, still just barely brushing the handle of the weapon case with his fingertips, let out a desperate shout to the fading cloud of smoke,

"Dammit, Train! Where are you!?"

After a few seconds, a silhouette appeared in the cloud; eyes glowing brightly. Warren turned sharply at the sound of a sudden roar, eyes wide as something sharp smashed into him at a deathly, high speed,

_**"BLACK CLAW!"**_

Warren flew backward upon impact; three, deep slash marks appearing on his torso as he slammed into the far wall with tremendous force and collapsed; snapping in half the table beneath him. Train groaned as he landed, resting one knee on the floor. He sported a cut on his temple that was bleeding profusely, as well as a deep gash across his chest. He gasped for air and shook his head with a sigh,

"Man, he really knows how to pack a punch...you okay, Princess?"

She winced as her skin returned to normal and the lacerations in her shoulder became visible.

Glancing down at them, the girl bit her lip and closed her eyes; brows furrowing in concentration. After a few seconds, the cuts on her body began to softly glow, and she turned to him with a smile,

"I'll be okay."

The chestnut-haired man smiled to her, and turning to Sven, shook his head in disapproval,

"And _you_. I thought you said I'd be here to _back you up_, not step in and do all the work _for_ you!"

The jade-haired man coughed at that, frowning in confusion,

"What the _hell _are you talking about?"

Train then stopped and scratched his head, a light bulb seeming to flicker on in his brain as he smiled,

"Ohh, wait. That was_ 'dream' _you. Hey, how come_ 'dream' _you was so much more of a bad ass than _'real' _you? Geez, you're so needy..."

"_I'm_ needy!? When I walked up on you, you were muttering something about how you_ 'always need me to save your ass' _and you're calling _me_ 'needy'!?"

They stopped their quarrel at the sound of a soft gasp, and both turned in the direction of Eve. Still clinging to the boy in her arms, the girl was smiling at them; tears spilling from her eyes.

Nodding to Train, Sven frowned,

"Train, help me up. This hurts."

"See, I told you. _Needy_..."

Grabbing the jade-haired man by the arm, Train gave him a good tug and pulled him to his feet; the man letting out a sudden yelp as he fell back down. Startled, the chestnut-haired man quickly grabbed him; carefully lowering him into a seated position,

"You okay, Sven!?"

Eve tensed as she saw him grimace, her heart racing at his reply,

"It's my hip..."

There was a long pause between the three of them, Train being the first to break the tension with a snicker,

"Boy, you _are_ getting _old_!"

"Shut up, Train," he winced, shifting his leg slightly to the right,

"I think it's _broken_."

Train straightened as he knelt down beside him; his mild amusement quickly being replaced with concern,

"Oh, seriously...?"

"_No_, I'm _kidding_."

Glancing down at the man's legs, he frowned. One of them was awkwardly turned and this seemed to be the one Sven was having trouble with. He swallowed hard,

"Well, that's not good."

"No, _shit_," the jade-haired man groaned, shifting again to try and find a comfortable position. He then nodded toward Eve,

"Go...help her bring the kid over here. I have a feeling things are about to get ugly."

"Just a _feeling_, or...?"

The man looked up at him; a sternness in his eye,

"What do _you_ think?"

With a nod, Train quickly hurried to the petite blonde and leaned down, grabbing Merrick under the arms,

"All right, Princess let's get _Sleeping Beauty _out of the way!"

Eve nodded and hurriedly helped scoot him over to the wall next to Sven.

Sven frowned as he looked over at the boy; a strange feeling of familiarity washing over him. Train noticed this, and raised an eyebrow,

"You okay?"

The jade-haired man swallowed hard,

_'No way...'_

_**'"It matters because EVE matters! And you matter to her! Without you, she's lost! Don't you get that!? She's been looking everywhere for you! She needs you!"'**_

_**'"**_**I'd**_** get lonely all by **_**myself**_**..."'**_

_**'"Please, save my boys."'**_

"Do you remember now, _Vollfied_?"

The trio turned as they heard a clatter nearby; Warren rising from the twisted remains of the metal table he'd crushed. He glared Sven down, his hair wild and falling into his eyes as he peered over his broken spectacles,

"The way you _ripped _my life apart?"

He staggered a bit as he rose to his feet, his eyes crazed as he glared at the group,

"I had a wife who loved me...a son I _adored_! And then _you _had to show up and _ruin_ everything," he spat, snarling viciously,

"I _saw_ the way she looked at you. She _wanted _you; the attractive young _cop_ who _threw _himself into the line of fire! _Always_ in danger, always living on the _edge_. _Yes...that _was the type of man _she _wanted..."

Eve frowned, shaking her head in confusion as she looked over at Sven,

"Sven, what's he talking about?"

The jade-haired man said nothing. Warren continued, a sad chuckle escaping him as his eyes began to tear up,

"But _no_...instead, she was _stuck_ with _me_! _Me_; the _honest_, _patient_, kept-his-nose-to-the-grindstone _secretary_ who stayed_ extra _hours in the office, _confined_ to his desk just so he'd have a few extra bucks in his pocket to get her anything she could possibly ever _want_, _anything _she could _desire_...and she desired _you_! What is it that she _saw_ in you, _Vollfied_? What did _you _have that _I_ didn't-"

"The _time_ of _day_!"

Sven shouted suddenly, shocking Warren to silence.

"Did you _ever_ think maybe that was all she wanted," he continued, shaking his head shamefully,

"Someone to spend time with her for_ five _minutes-!?"

Warren snarled at that, his blood boiling as a tear hit his cheek,

"SHE WAS _MY_ _**WIFE**_-"

"-AND SHE WAS _MY __**FRIEND**_," Sven snapped back; his voice cracking with sadness,

"And that's _**ALL**_ she was. There was _nothing_ going on between us...and if you'd been _around _more,_ maybe_ you would have_ seen _that!"

The raven-haired man shook his head at that, his eyes wide as he staggered away from them,

"No...no, no, no, _no_! That's a_** lie**_-!"

"It's _not_ a lie," he shouted back, fists clenching at his sides,

"She _loved _you more than life_ itself_...and you_ threw _her away. _You_ did. _You _tore your family apart, all by _yourself_..."

Warren stared at him, a look of sheer horror on his face as he processed the man's words. He then shook his head, staggering over to a nearby tray covered in,

"SHUT _UP_!"

Scooping up one of the needles, he began to cackle madly, turning to them with crazed eyes,

"I will make you pay, _Vollfied_...even if I have to sacrifice _everything_ to do so."

* * *

**A/N: I suddenly envisioned Tom Hiddleston voicing Jonas Warren while writing his rant about Sarah.**

**God, that was _hawt_.  
**

**-fans self-  
**


	65. LVI

**LVI**

"You can't be here."

Sephiria whispered, staring at the little girl in disbelief,

"It's not possible."

_**'"Quite the contrary, Miss Arks. Anything is possible here."'**_

A man with raven hair and spectacles stepped up beside the child and placed a hand on her head.

"You," Sephiria began, looking him up and down in shock,

"You were one of those aligned with Creed all those years ago...a member of the Apostles of the Star. The man they called 'Doctor'..."

The Doctor smiled at that; his glasses glowing in the light of the flames...

~ø~

Eve frowned as Warren flicked the tiny glass syringe with his fore finger, a tone of concern in her voice,

"Wha-What is that...?"

The wild-eyed man chuckled at her question, turning the syringe on himself,

"Why, you of _all _people should recognise _this,_ little mouse. Think back, to your time with your dear old _uncle,_ Torneo..."

She swallowed hard. How on Earth did he know she had referred to him as_ 'uncle'_? Sven should have been the only one to know that. Had he been watching them for _that_ long? Warren grinned at them, licking his lips with a satisfied smile,

"I had my good friend, Doctor Kanzaki whip this up for me. It's untested, but it should still do the trick..."

Train tensed as he watched the man stab himself with the needle, glancing over at Sven nervously,

"Is that what I think it is?"

"I wouldn't doubt it..."

Warren gagged as the drug began coursing through his veins, and he began to convulse. Eve unconsciously pulled Merrick closer, her eyes wide as she watched the horrific transformation unfolding before her,

"Wh-What's happening to his body?"

"He used the N+S drug on himself," the jade-haired man said softly,

"It slows his brain function while amplifying all other abilities. Had Torneo had his way back then, the same would have happened to you."

Warren began to grow immensely in size, soon towering over them by several feet. Numerous long, bladed tendrils sprouted from his arms, legs, back, and even his face. His eyes began to glow a bright yellow in colour as the drug took hold, and he let out a loud, demon-esque roar.

The group tensed as he came running toward them, Train letting out a groan,

"Svenny-baby, I think you pissed him off...!"

"Just shut up and grab my weapon case!"

Without a second to waste, Eve used her hair to grab the briefcase and pulled it over to him. He smiled, quickly taking it in hand ,

"Thanks, Eve."

The girl smiled at that, readied her hair as a shield as Warren drew closer. Sven narrowed his eye and swallowed hard,

"Let's hope this setting still works!"  
He slammed his thumb down on the button; the briefcase whirring to life. It shot open...

_** BWIP. **_

Sven stared blankly as the briefcase did nothing but release a tiny droplet of water; his eye twitching nervously. Train turned to the man with wide eyes, shrieking as Warren drew closer,

"What the hell was _that_ supposed to do!?"

"It _was_ the diamond cutter function, but I guess the water evaporated while I was gone!"

"Well, don't just sit there, try something else!"

Sven cursed as he smashed his thumb on the button repeatedly, a bead of sweat trailing down his cheek,

"I _am_ trying!"

As he pressed the button, nothing happened and he cursed,

"Dammit! The system's jammed! I can't get it to work!"

Biting her lip, Eve wrapped her hair around the three of them and quickly, sprouting a set of wings from her back, darted across the lab.

Warren smashed into the wall without stopping, creating an enormous hole as he dug the bladed tendrils into the spot they'd just been occupying. Train blinked as she let them loose, letting out a nervous laugh,

"Nice save, Princess!"

Now, like a wild animal, Warren let out a vicious roar and turned his gaze directly toward them.

Sven let out an annoyed groan,

"I take it nobody's got a plan on how to stop him?"

"Nope," Train swallowed hard as reloaded Hades with a couple of burst bullets,

"That was always _your _department, Svenny-baby."

He raised his arm to fire, Eve grabbing him quickly,

"Wait."

The chestnut-haired man raised an eyebrow as he turned to her; the girl glancing back and forth nervously between him and Sven,

"I think I have an idea."

~ø~

Sephiria grunted as she parried the young girl's violent swings. With each leap back, the girl made two, constantly bridging the gap that the woman was trying to create between them. A cackle bellowed over head, echoing off the snowy mountain ranges that surrounded them,

_**"Do you really think you can win? How quaint."**_

The woman let out a yelp as the girl's sword dragged across her arm; producing a deep gash that tore through the muscle. She swallowed hard, weakly switching sword hands. Her right arm hung limp at her side and she narrowed her eyes as the girl continued to stare blankly at her; ridding her sword of blood with a hefty cut through the air.

_**"Perhaps I should make this a bit more interesting. Would you like that, Miss Arks?"**_

The image of the young girl disappeared then, and a man stepped out from the flames. His long, blonde hair whipped violently about his face; his coat flapping with vigor against his calves. In his hands, he held a spear with the emblem of **'II'** engraved on it's blade. She swallowed hard, biting her lip as she watched Belze crouch into an offensive stance.

~ø~

Rinslet cursed as the window finally broke apart; sending shattered glass raining down on top of her. Annette let out a yelp as she was hit in the shoulder and fell backward, clamping a hand on it as she dropped her rifle. Susan straightened at that, and giving her daughter a quick peck on the forehead, ran over to the wounded woman and crouched down,

"Are you all right!?"

"Yeah, they only got my shoulder," Annette winced, barely able to move. She nodded to the rifle, her voice urgent,

"Just take it up quick, before they think we're done."

Swallowing hard, Susan scrambled for the gun and cocked it, taking Annette's place by the window. She spotted a man on the rooftop across the road and narrowed her eyes, aiming for him,

"This is for my girl..."

She fired and the shot connected, the man letting out a cry as he fell from his perch. A string of sweat-ridden hair fell before her eyes and she snarled,

"_You_ can't have her."

The aforementioned girl did not stir as he mother continued to fire off shots at the Erasers.

Instead, her mind was swirling with the image of a monstrous man; roaring and snarling as he charged a young blonde girl in a laboratory...

~ø~

Eve gasped as she flew up into the air, narrowly avoiding Warren as he rushed forward with the momentum of an angered bull. He smashed into the mirrored wall, causing it to shatter and rain glass down on top of him. She narrowed her eyes as he turned around, biting her lip nervously,

_'"Are you sure this will work, Princess?"'_

_ The girl sighed deeply as shook her head, glancing over at Warren. He was getting ready to charge again._

_"It has to," she said, turning her stern eyes to the chestnut-haired man,_

_"Besides...what other choice do we have-?"  
"I don't like it," Sven chimed in, shaking his head in concern,_

_"This is too risky! If it doesn't work-"_

_"I have to try," she interrupted, offering an uncertain smile,_

_"Just trust me...please, Sven?"_

_ The jade-haired man smiled back at her, sighing deeply,_

_"I always trust you, Eve."_

The girl frowned as she watched Warren rise from the shards around him, the monster turning to face her. Long, grey tendrils shot out from his back and chest, flying toward her quickly. She quickly flew out of the way, her eyes narrowing.

In order for this plan to work, he needed to be at his weakest.

She swallowed hard.

~ø~

Sephiria let out a gasp as the butt Belze's spear caught her in the ribs and she staggered backward; falling to the ground. Belze quickly kicked Icthus away from her, jabbing the bladed end Gungnir at her throat. The tip pressed against her flesh and she halted her breath, raising her eyes to him as he let out a growl,

_"It's your fault..."_

She frowned, looking him up and down in confusion,

"What are you talking about...?"

_"My death,"_ he continued, eyes narrowed at her,

_"The blame is yours."_

"Belze, I-"

_"Do not waste your breath with apologies!"_

His voice boomed loudly, cracking off the mountain range,

_"Unless you intend to apologise to ALL of us."_

She frowned at this, the words barely escaping her mouth as she saw the group emerge from the flames,

"All of...you?"

Two men she recognised stood at the front, both in Chronos uniform. One carried a large cannon on his shoulder; the other, a golden cane. Behind them stood a sea of men, all dressed in black suits and ties. Erasers. Her heart stopped as they continued to rise out of the flames, the head count growing endless.

_"We all counted on you to lead us to victory...and in the end, all you brought us was pain and suffering."_

The woman turned her fearful gaze back to him; her eyes beginning to well with tears. He remained indifferent to her remorseful expression,

_"You killed us, Sephiria Arks. We all died...because of you. "_

The crowd began to chant in unison, growing louder than the roar of the flames as they grew in number,

_"Murderer, murderer."_

The woman began to shake slightly and she fought to compose herself, her gaze faltering as she turned back to the crowd,

"You expect this to rattle me...?"

_"Isn't it?"_

Sephiria gasped as she felt a tear hit her cheek. She couldn't breathe. The Erasers just kept multiplying. So many had died under her leadership...so many had fallen. Perhaps it was her fault. Surely she could have done something to save them! She closed her eyes.

The proof was right in front of her; the proof of her guilt. So many had died for the Chronos cause; a lot of them younger than she.

Her head spun. She had tried desperately to fight the guilt for all of these years, but Belze was right.

These men had died...because of her.

Their blood was on her hands.

It was her fault.

_ SHING. SHING_

_**"Don't listen to them, Sephy!"**_

Sephiria gasped at the sound of that familiar voice and opened her eyes to find Gungnir suspended by wires a few inches from her neck.

She quickly rolled away from Belze, glancing around for the man operating them. He stood behind Belze, Excelion's wires gleaming brightly in the light of the roaring flames,

_**"We all knew the risks when we joined Chronos. We all knew there was a chance we'd have to lay down our lives for the cause! The real Belze knew that. Don't ever doubt that!"**_

He smiled over at her, his mahogany hair fluttering violently in the breeze,

_**"Now, kick his ass."**_

The woman smiled back and raising Icthus over her head, she narrowed her eyes. She brought the blade down on Belze's head, the sandy-haired man, as well as his army of ghosts, shattering instantly.

The fields and the flames disappeared; Sephiria gasping as she found herself again at the Operating Room doors. She frowned as she spun around, Jenos' voice echoing all around her,

_**"See ya around, Sephy."**_

The doors then flew open and she was engulfed in light.

~ø~

"How!?"

Doctor cursed as he smashed his hands on the keyboard, his eyes wide behind his spectacles. Another Warp World broken; another pawn gone free. Was he losing his touch?

With a growl, he glanced up at the battle going on outside of his observation room. Warren was getting run down from what he could see, by the bio weapon, Black Cat, and Vollfied. Gritting his teeth, he quickly shut off his computer and turned for the door. This was a lost cause, now.

Everything had gone wrong. It was time to abandon ship.

He cursed as he reached the door; finding a raven-haired man with bright blue eyes standing on the other side waiting for him.

Lin Xiao Li smiled,

"Hello, Doctor."

Chronos Number V, Nizer Bruckheimer, stood behind him smirking. The two men reached out and grabbed him; dragging him from the room as he let out a frightened yelp.

~ø~

"He's gonna swing in a minute," Sven shouted, motioning to Train as his right eye pulsed painfully,

"On your left! Now!"

The chestnut-haired man quickly ducked as one of Warren's tendrils sailed just over his head. He fired off a burst bullet into it, and Warren let out a shriek, wailing in pain. Train took a deep breath and nodded to Eve,

"He's looking pretty tired, now, Princess! Whenever you're ready!"

The blonde nodded; flying around to Warren's front.

~ø~

_"Do you think you can see the whole city from there?"_

_ "Wow!"_

_She gasped, glancing at the scenery all around her,_

_"Everything's so high!"_

_The girl smiled; not even turning her gaze from the window,_

_"It's wonderful! I just love it up here!"_

-ø-_  
_

_**"I think I have an idea..."**_

-ø-_**  
**_

_ "It's a photobooth! Say 'mozzarella'!"_

-ø-_  
_

_**"I don't like it! It's too risky! If this doesn't work-"**_

-ø-**_  
_**

_FLASH._

_Smirking, she grabbed a hold of his cheeks and pulled them to either side._

_ FLASH._

_Next, she rose two fingers behind his head and stuck out her tongue._

_ FLASH._

_Pulling two clumps of his hair into pigtails, she grinned._

_ FLASH._

_The boy's eyebrow twitched in annoyance,_

_'So, she wants to play like that, huh? Well...TWO can play this game!'_

_He leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek. The girl stopped; her eyes wide._

_ FLASH._

-ø-

_**"I have to try. Just trust me...please, Sven?" **_

-ø-

_ "It didn't come out. It's a shame...it would have been cute, too."_

-ø-

Merrick groaned as his eyes fluttered open at the sound of a shriek. The sound around him was muffled and his vision was blurred. As his sight began to clear up, he found that he was lying on the floor. His head was swimming and it still felt as if he were dreaming.

_"He's looking pretty tired, now, Princess! Whenever you're ready!"_

A garbled voice rang out. The boy turned his head slowly to see a strange monster with sprouted grey tendrils writhing and shrieking a few feet ahead. He narrowed his eyes at it. Was that Warren?

A moment later, Eve landed on the ground in front of Warren and retracted her ivory wings. Her body turned metallic and her hair rose from behind her. She sent it flying at the monster, narrowing her eyes. He settled his gaze on her and let out a shriek, using the tendrils on his back as swords to cut her hair blades away from him. The ones on his chest then shot forward and Eve let out a gasp; her body tensing as they broke through her steel exoskeleton...

...piercing her chest.

Sven's eyes widened as the steel casing shattered and dissolved, reverting back to her normal skin. His heart stopped as Warren raised another tendril and stabbed the girl again, this time in the gut. Eve slumped forward, eyes wide as she caught sight of blood leaking down the blades. That was hers. Her blood. She was bleeding.

_"EVE, NO!"_

She could hear Sven screaming behind her. He sounded so far away. She raised her gaze to Warren; the creature letting out a shriek as it seemed to smile at her.

_"PRINCESS!"_

Rushing forward, Train brought Hades down swiftly on the three tendrils that were lodged in her, snapping them in two. Warren let out a shriek and pulled away quickly. Eve fell backward.

Slowly, Merrick rose to his feet as she fell; disregarding the presence of the startled, jade-haired man beside him as he ran to catch her,

"EVE!"

Managing to get a hand under her before she hit the ground, the boy pulled her into his arms; gingerly stroking her face,

"No...no, no, no! Look at me!"

The girl did not stir. She was completely limp.

**_Lifeless._**

The boy looked at the tendrils that protruded from her body, his eyes wide in horror. This had to be a vision. This could not be happening, not in real time. He could still stop this. He knew he could! When he looked up at Train, however...

He shook his head, then, and glanced over at Sven. The man's face was completely pale; stricken with grief.

Gazing down at Eve, the boy felt his eyes begin to well up with tears. Her face was losing colour; the pink already gone from her lips.

This couldn't be happening. Cradling her head, the boy bent down, cheek to her forehead,

"Wake up...please, wake up."

He closed his eyes, beginning to rock her slowly back and forth as the moments slowly passed. The image of a young woman with fiery-red hair entered his mind; a snake-like smile on her lips,

_**"It's like I told you, Merry. You're a curse, after all. A kiss of death for those closest to you."**_


	66. LVII

**LVII**

Lin Xiao Li narrowed his eyes as he and Nizer dragged the bespectacled Doctor down the long corridor.

_ '"Where's Sephiria!?"'_

-ø-

_The Doctor swallowed hard as Nizer slammed him back against the wall, raven hair falling out of place,_

_"I don't know...what you're talking about."_

_"You trapped her in the Warp World," Li began, Seiren floating dangerously behind him,_

_"How deep has she gone? Tell us where she is..."_

_The Doctor smiled at that, eying the twin tonfa that were pressed to his neck,_

_"You expect me to talk...under __**this**__ kind of pressure?"  
"If you value your life," Li stated coldly._

_With a groan, Doctor sighed deeply,_

_"She escaped. The Warp World I trapped her in collapsed."_

_"Where does it let out," Nizer shouted, pressing the tonfa hard against the man's throat,_

_"Tell us!"_

_"I-It's up to the subject..." Doctor strangled out, his face turning red,_

_"I've no control over where the doors lead..."_

_ "And what of Warren, then," Li questioned, eyes narrowing angrily,_

_"Where can we find __**him**__?"_

_"Oh, you've no need to further worry yourselves over Warren...he's quite finished."_

_"Finished," Nizer repeated._

_Doctor grinned, a laugh escaping him,_

_"He took the N+S serum I drafted...but it was untested; incomplete. No doubt it should be wearing off any moment now."_

_ Li glanced back inside the observation room. Beyond the window, he could see Warren falling to the ground, his three broken tendrils flailing about in the air. Opposite him, a young girl with blonde hair fell as well; the bladed edges of said tendrils lodged in her torso. A boy ran to her, his cries unable to be heard through the sound proof glass, and Black Cat stood gazing down at the girl in shock. He turned away from the sight quickly, nodding,_

_"Black Cat can handle him, then," he began, taking the Doctor roughly by the collar of his shirt,_

_"Let's go. We have to find Sephiria."_

-ø-

Li straightened as they reached the beginning of the tunnels. There was still no sign of Sephiria.

Nizer glanced over at him, shrugging,

"If she's already escaped Warp World, maybe she's gone back outside?"

The raven-haired man nodded,

"Perhaps...and if not, we can leave the Doctor in Hazard's care and take another look around."

Nizer nodded, his bald head gleaming with sweat as they made their way toward the entrance,

"Sounds like a plan to me."

~ø~

Sephiria gasped as she emerged through what looked to be a tree and landed on a patch of grassy land, confused.

She was back in the clearing? How was that possible? She glanced around. The entryway to the lab was a few feet away.

Starting over to it, she passed Baldor and Kranz, who looked equally as confused as she was.

She had expected some kind of comment from Hazard as to what she was doing back outside, but none came. In fact, he was unusually quiet. This made her stop.

_** '"We **_**all **_**knew the risks when we joined Chronos. We **_**all**_** knew there was a chance we'd have to lay down our lives for the cause! Don't **_**ever**_** doubt that!"'**_

Slowly, she turned toward the tree where he was sitting and cautiously started over to him. His words from the Warp World kept playing in her head. _**We**_. He had said, _**we**_.

Kneeling down at his side, she reached up and pressed her fingers to his neck. A gasp escaped her.

"She _is_ out here! Sephiria!"

The blonde woman glanced back at them, her eyes welling with tears.

Nizer, dragging Doctor behind him, grinned,

"When you disappeared we went looking for you. We snagged Kanzaki. We couldn't be sure if you were safe, so we took him into custody. I knew you were fine, but we still took the precaution. Figure Hazard can take care of him for a bit if you want to head back in."

He spotted Jenos and smiled,

"So, how _were _the kiddies, Jenos? They behave for you-?"

"Nizer."

He frowned at the strange tone in Li's voice and stopped, glancing back at him in confusion,

"What?"

Li passed him, eyes fixed on Jenos as he slowly inched closer. Sephiria was silently weeping. He glanced down at the mahogany haired man, his stomach dropping as he knelt beside him. Blood drenched the man's shirt from the deep cut on his neck; a wound that had been much worse than he had let on.

He reached over and carefully pressed his fingertips to the man's ever cooling flesh; his eyes widening as he could not find a pulse,

"Hazard..."

Glancing down at the man's hand, he caught sight of his phone. On the screen was a text message, written out, but not sent.

_**'See you soon, babe.'**_ it read, followed by a heart.

The message was addressed to Rinslet Walker.

~ø~

Rinslet gasped as she turned her gaze back to the street, spotting three Erasers running toward the café. Loading her pistol, she took aim and fired a few shots; missing all three of them. Her eyes widened as one of them raised what looked like a harpoon gun from their side.

Suddenly, her vision was blocked by a man in a long, black coat. He raised his palm toward the Erasers, and out from the centre bubbled a lengthy ribbon of blood. It shot forward and took hold of the gun, tossing it aside. In front of Susan's window now stood Kyoko, who giggled as she set off a fireball that ignited the ground at the Erasers' feet,

"Dance, boys!"

They each let out a yell and started hopping around as their shoes began to melt to their feet. Her giggles stopped as a strange howling rang out and she glanced around, eyebrow raised in confusion,

"Huh?"

One by one, Erasers began falling from rooftops; each crying out in horror and pain. A delayed crack accompanied the howling.

Rinslet frowned, slowly rising from her spot.

Susan glanced over at her, Annette letting out a hiss,

"Are you stupid!? Get back down!"

The lavender-haired woman ignored her words and instead headed outside, Susan letting out a gasp and protest,

"Where are you going?!"

Standing on the porch, Rinslet gasped as a black blur suddenly flew passed the cafe, taking the Erasers with it. She could hear their horrified screams as they were thrown into the bushes, their screams going quiet soon after. The area was still for a few moments after that.

A wolf trudged out of the bushes, it's jowls and claws dripping with blood. Charden took a protective step in front of Kyoko as the wolf drew closer; the girl gasping with amazement,

"Oh, wow...where do you think he came from?"

Rinslet stared at the wolf, frozen. Where _had _it come from? And why had it _saved_ them, if that was _truly _what it was doing?

She straightened then, noticing the Roman Numeral that was carved over it's eye. Aware of her staring, the wolf stopped and let out a groan. The sound of bones grinding and cracking rang out as it began to stretch, it's body morphing and twisting until it took the shape of a man in a tattered suit. Standing before them now, was Amon Asar, Number VI of the Chronos Numbers. He sighed deeply,

"I'm very sorry to have frightened you, I did not mean to," he began, wincing as he pulled an arrow out from his shoulder.

He tossed it to the ground and took in a deep breath,

"A technique I learned in the East. I was trained in the art of Tao for most of my childhood."

He hobbled up to the porch, his bones still creaking as he went inside,

"I took care of that Number. Don't worry, you won't be seeing him again. The Erasers, too. We are in the clear."

Kyoko made a face as he brushed passed her, the smell of blood heavy on his clothes and skin,

"Did you..._eat _them?!"

Amon turned to her with a toothy grin, his teeth stained in crimson,

"Don't be absurd, Miss Kirisaki. I'm not an animal..."

The girl let out a sigh of relief at that. He then turned and started inside, muttering softly to himself,

"I left _some_ for the birds."

Rinslet gasped as her phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket and she took it out. She had a text message.

Flipping it open, she shook her head and rolled her eyes.

_**'"See you soon, babe."'**_

She blushed.

"Little late, now, lover boy."

Snapping her phone shut, she followed Kyoko and Charden inside; shutting the door behind her.

~ø~

"You sent it?"

Nizer said, holding back his grief as he watched Li take off his coat. Li nodded, draping the coat over Jenos' body with a hefty sigh,

"Yes."

"What for?"

The raven-haired man turned to him with a frown,

"Hazard would have wanted her to get it. And she'll be glad to have it...once she finds out what has transpired."

Nizer nodded shortly, wiping his nose as it began to run. He glanced over at Sephiria, who was now standing guard of Baldor, Kranz, and Doctor. She gazed at the entryway, a deep sigh escaping her as the breeze caught her lengthy, golden locks,

"It's up to you now, Heartnet..."

~ø~

_"...our fate is in your hands."_

"Wake up...please, wake up."

Merrick closed his eyes, beginning to rock slowly back and forth as the moments passed. Eve did not respond. Train gazed blankly at the sight of her lying there; his heart dropping. The plan was supposed to work. It wasn't supposed to end like this.

Sven remained silent, head bowed. He couldn't move, not with his hip as badly broken as it was, and his weapon case was useless.

His vision eye hadn't even seen it coming. If it had, he would have warned her, and she wouldn't be...

He clenched his fist tightly, his teeth grinding together in anger. There was nothing they could do about it now.

It was over.

Merrick held her silently, cheek pressed to her head as he shook with grief. This is why he had wanted to stay away from her...because he knew it would end like this. Those he cared about always wound up dead. He squeezed his eyes shut, tears dripping down his nose as he choked out a sob. This wasn't a vision or a dream. This was real.

Eve was dead...right there in his arms.

Warren let out an almost victorious roar at the sight of the lifeless young girl; his broken tendrils beginning to mend. With a snarl, Train emptied his barrel of burst bullets and let them all drop to the floor. They hit with a soft clinking sound, and Sven raised his gaze, eyes wide as he blinked away his tears,

"Train...? What are you doing?"

The chestnut-haired man then pulled a black box from his pocket and reloaded his gun with a round of gleaming, orichalcum bullets.

The jade-haired man tensed as he watched his partner take aim at Warren, shaking his head furiously,

"Train, don't! Just stop it, now! It's not-"

"Don't try to tell me it's not _worth it_, Sven," the chestnut-haired man said, eyes narrowed to slits as he glared Warren down,

"Because you _know _that it is! He just _killed _Princess right in front of us...you _can't_ tell me you don't want him dead, _too_!"

Sven narrowed his eyes, a tear hitting his cheek,

"Oh, _believe_ me, I _do_...but it's not about what _we_ want, Train!"

The chestnut-haired man flinched at that, a few tears escaping him as Sven continued.

The man's voice sounded so broken,

"This is about_ her_...Eve wouldn't _want _either of us to_ kill _him...! _Stopping _him is _enough_...you and I _both_ know that."

With a sad smile, Train glanced back at his partner, then down at Eve,

"You two are just a like, you know? She really learned a lot from you."

Sven gazed up at him, his expression pitiful and pleading. Swallowing hard, Train turned back toward Warren and cocked Hades,

"It's a shame I don't think the same way..."

"_Train..._!"

As he made to fire, he suddenly found his legs had come flying out from under him and he cursed, landing on the ground with a hard thud. He spun to see Merrick, still holding Eve, but now in a crouch; his leg out to the side. The man became angry,

"The hell are you-!?"

He stopped, straightening as he looked down at Eve. Merrick raised an eyebrow at this and followed suit, his eyes widening.

She was...glowing.

The broken tendrils protruding from her chest and stomach began to sink, and Sven straightened, his mouth falling agape,

_'She's...absorbing them?'_

Warren watched curiously as the girl began to sparkle, taking the spikes into her body. Quickly, Train grabbed Merrick by the arm and pulled him away from her, the boy yelping in protest,

"Wha- no, don't! Eve! Eve!?"

He held the boy back, his heart racing as her wounds closed up and the colour returned to her face. The glow then faded and everything went still for a moment. Train swallowed hard, tightening his grip on the boy's shoulders,

"Princess?"

None of them dared to breathe or even move.

Suddenly, she took in a breath and her eyes flew open. Merrick started forward, smiling with relief,

"Eve-!"

"Don't! Not yet," Train said as he pulled the boy back again, eying her cautiously.

Something wasn't right about her. She rose to her feet, her body not quite steady. Sven frowned in concern.

Train was onto something. The girl was off, somehow.

He swallowed hard, nervous as his voice escaped him,

"Eve?"

The girl brought her hands up and covered her face; beginning to whimper softly. Finally shoving Train away from him, Merrick rushed forward and grabbed her by the shoulders,

"Eve! Eve, look at me! Are you okay!? Say something!"

Her whimpering stopped, but she kept her face covered. Then softly, she repeated,

"Some...thing."

The boy frowned at that. Before he had time to reply, however, he suddenly found himself flying across the room. He hit the wall with intense force, leaving a dent in his wake as he fell to the ground. Train shouted to him, eyes wide in shock,

"Kid!? You okay!?"

"Some...thing..."

The girl repeated again, tightening her grip on her face. Multiple wings shot out from her back then and her hair turned into long, golden scythes. She began screaming as wings shot forth from her legs and her arms and her hair flew up toward the ceiling,

"SOMETHING, _SOMETHING_,_** SOMETHING**_!"

Raising her head, then, she caught Warren in her sights; her ruby eyes completely blank and devoid of emotion. Her body turned silver and she flew toward him at full force, swinging one of her hair scythes down onto him. He snarled and swung upward to cut the scythe down, but found that his tendril bounced off of it like rubber. He frowned; confused and startled.

Sven straightened, eyes wide as he watched the girl's relentless attacks on Warren continue,

"No way..."

Raising his head slowly, Merrick coughed harshly and put a hand to his ribs; his vision swimming as he watched Eve's onslaught increase in ferocity,

"What happened to her...?"

"She absorbed the orichalcum from those blades," Sven began, the boy turning to him with a slightly dazed look,

"Now, she's as strong as he is."

The girl let out a wail, almost a kin to a war cry, and continued slashing away at Warren; their blades merely bouncing off each other and generating sparks. Merrick shook his head, frightened as he watched her,

"But that...why would it do_ that _to her...? That's _not _Eve..."

"Orichalcum alone _wouldn't _do that," Train retorted, leaping away as a chunk of debris flew up from the ground.

He landed nearer to Sven, and swallowed hard, glancing back at him,

"But the N+S drug,_ would_."

Sven bowed his head in silence.

Merrick shook his head at the both of them, eyes wide as he glanced back and forth between them and the battle,

"Well, we can't just sit here! We've gotta do something! We have to stop her-!"

"We _can't_ stop her," Sven shouted back, his voice sounded even more broken than before,

"The N+S drug boosts her powers...and at the same time cuts back _all _of her mental processes. It turns her into a _killing machine_.

Nothing we do will reach her, now."

Eve let out another wailing cry and raised her hands over her head, morphing them into a gigantic scythe. She brought it down on top of Warren's head...

_**"The Eve we knew...is gone."**_

* * *

**A/N: _Jenos... ;A;_**_**  
**_


	67. LVIII

** LVIII**

An eerie cry rang out through the tunnels and Kevin frowned, raising an eyebrow curiously,

"What was that?"

The group stopped, River swallowing hard as it sounded again,

"Sounds like a monster..."

Silphy listened quietly, a shiver running down her spine as it reverberated off the walls. Leon bowed his head in thought, eyes narrowing,

"No, not a monster."

The others turned to him, and he tensed, listening to it closely as it continued.

He looked up at them, looking slightly shaken...

~ø~

_'"That sounds like Eve...!"'_

Eve let out another cry and raised her hands over her head, morphing them into a gigantic scythe. She brought it down on top of Warren; the man quickly deflecting it with a swipe of one of his tendrils.

Shaking his head, Merrick turned to the jade-haired man, snorting in disbelief,

"You're kidding me, right? This is a joke."

"No joke," Sven sighed, clenching his fists tightly,

"The N+S drug overrides _everything _that makes Eve human. There's nothing we can do-"

"I wasn't talking about,_ Eve_," the boy snapped, glaring the man down angrily,

"I was talking about _you_. _'There's nothing we can do, the Eve we knew is gone', _huh? What a load of_ crap_! I can't believe she wasted her time looking for you all these years."

"_Excuse_ me-!?"

The man shot back, eyes widening as the boy knelt down and grabbed him by the collar of his over-sized jacket,

"In the time I spent with Eve, there was only _one_ thing she ever talked about! Only _one_ thing she wanted...and that was to find_ you_! She _never _gave up, no matter how _hopeless_ it looked! And here you are...ready to _throw in the towel _because of little set back-!"

"This isn't a 'little set back', kid," Sven scowled, his eyes darkening as he continued,

"That drug-"

"I don't care about the _stupid _drug," the muddy-haired boy shrieked, throwing his hand back to the battle scene,

"Just LOOK at her!"

The jade-haired man followed the boy's motion, swallowing hard as he focused on the girl. She was beating Warren to a pulp, no question about that...but there was something else. She hurled Warren across the room, briefly turning to the three of them before going after him again. Her eyes met his just briefly and he straightened, noticing the glitter that trailed down her cheeks. She was crying.

"Eve told me _all_ about it," Merrick began, watching her take after Warren with a frown on his face,

"How you saved her all those years ago from that man...Borneo Roadhouse."

"_Torneo Rudman_," Train quickly corrected.

"_Whatever_," the boy hissed in annoyance, waving Train away hastily.

He then shook his head, turning back and glaring right into the jade-haired man's eyes,

"Where is _that _guy, now!? You're the knight in shining armour that she's been _dreaming_ about! The one person that can make everything _better_!"

Sven fell silent for a moment. From where the boy sat, he still looked lost and defeated; doubting.

Merrick sighed deeply and shook his head,

"I get it. I know what it's like to be beaten down so many times that you don't know how to believe anymore. But you believed enough to pull yourself up and fight your way back from the brink of _death_, didn't you? Because you know, just like _everybody else _knows, how much Eve _means _to you...and how much _you _mean to_ her_! So, _come_ on! Where's your fighting spirit!? Where's that guy who stormed a mansion full of mob goons just to save a little girl from a monster, huh?"

"Are you _ever_ gonna shut up?"

Sven looked over at Train; a stern look on his face,

"We need to distract her. If she keeps going at Warren the way she is, she'll kill him. Get her attention away from him and onto you."

Train nodded shortly,

"Sure, that sounds easy enough..."

"And you," he then turned back to Merrick, eyes narrowed,

"Do you think you can keep Warren occupied for a bit while we deal with her?"

The boy swallowed hard, nodding nervously as he stood,

"I'll try."

They turned back to the battle, Train swallowing hard as he watched Eve fling Warren around like a rag doll. She slammed him into the floor multiple times and upon the final time; she let out a shrieking cry.

"Uh..." he stammered nervously, eying the burst bullets scattered on the floor,

"So, how exactly _do _we stop her?

Sven pulled a small box from his coat pocket and handed it to Train, keeping his eyes on Eve,

"Tranq bullets."

"Niiiice~," Train whistled,

"Any ideas as to how to get it past her orichalcum skin?"

"One of the bullets in your gun. Hand it here."

The chestnut-haired man quickly did so, and Sven took one of the bullets from the box. Carefully, he twisted the steel tip off of the tranquiliser and switched it with the orichalcum one. He handed it back to Train, who made sure to empty the other bullets from of his gun before placing the new one in,

"Make sure you don't hurt her."

Snapping Hades back into place, Train smiled as he pulled himself to his feet,

"Wouldn't dream of it, Svenny-baby."

Merrick glanced back and forth between Eve and Warren; swallowing hard. Turning his head slightly, he called to Train and Sven,

"Uh, I could use an opening! Any time you're ready!"

The chestnut-haired man nodded, cracking his neck nervously,

"Don't suppose you have a plan for this part, do you?"

"Nope. I figured you'd just fly by the seat of your pants," Sven quipped, grinning slightly,

"That's _your _department, after all."

Train smiled back, then turned toward Eve,

"Then, let's go save our girl."

~ø~

_"Hello!?"_

_She stood at the centre of a dark room, her ruby eyes wide with fear. It was cold here. She slowly trudged forward, her heart racing as she began hearing the faint whispering of voices._

_**'"I..."'**_

_**'"...billions..."'**_

_**'"...mon."'**_

_**'"...liberate..."'**_

_She swallowed hard and cleared her throat, unable to see anything at all. She wasn't even sure if she had her eyes open,_

_"H-hello...!?"_

_**'"...am..."'**_

_**'"...invested billions..."**_

_**'"...the de..."'**_

_**'"...property..."'**_

_Squinting her eyes to try and peer through the blackness, she called out again, her voice echoing coldly back to her,_

_"Train!?"_

_**'"I am..."'**_

_**'"billions in your..."'**_

_**'"...mon."'**_

_**'"...can't liberate..."'**_

_ The voices began getting closer and the girl, now frightened, pulled her arms closer and spun around. She didn't know why she bothered to look; it was too dark to see. Her heart was pounding so quickly she could feel it in her ears. _

_"Sven!?"_

_**'"I am..."'**_

_**'"I invested billions..."'**_

_**'"the de..."'**_

_**'"You can't liberate..."'**_

_She brought her hands up to her neck, feeling tears hit her eyes as the voices continued to grow louder. Her voice fell to a broken whisper as she began to shiver, and she swallowed hard,_

_"Merrick...?"_

_Hot tears hit her cheeks and she closed her eyes, clamping her hands over her ears as the voices overpowered the surroundings._

_**'"I am..."'**_

_**'"I invested billions in your creation...!"'**_

_**'"...the de..."'**_

_**'"You can't liberate property!"'**_

_**'"...mon."**_

_**'"I am the demon."'**_

~ø~

Eve let out another shriek; one that almost echoed the sobbing of a frightened child. Sailing upward, she held out an arm, and from it rose another wing. She fired the feathers off at Warren, each one as sharp and deadly as a katana. Warren howled as they cracked through his exoskeleton and dug themselves into his arms and legs. As she was about to fire off another round at him, she felt something strike the back of her head.

"Yoo hoo, Princess! Over here!"

She turned to slowly to see Train standing there; a chunk of glass in his hand.

At this, she narrowed her eyes and let out a snarl. The chestnut-haired man swallowed hard as she turned to face him, her hair scythes flipping angrily about behind her as she glided toward him,

"Oh... well...wasn't really expecting that..."

The scythes rose up from behind her and she growled again, Train slowly backing away,

"That eye of yours see anything yet, Svenny-baby...?"

The jade-haired man coughed, a drop of blood leaking from his nose,

"I'm working on it."

"Well, work_ faster_!"

Merrick glanced over, seeing that Eve was now cornering Train. He took a deep breath; wincing as he felt his eye burn.

"Right! Go _right_!"

Without a second thought, Train dived to his right; Eve's scythes digging into the ground he had stood on just moments afterward.

He continued going right; scythes following his every step as he tried to get around behind her.

Sven groaned as his eye began to burn, then. It seemed the boy's sudden vision had worked like a kick starter for his own. He turned his gaze back to the scene; vision eye pulsing,

"Duck!"

Train cursed and quickly dropped to the floor just as a jagged blade shot out from between the wings on Eve's back. His eyes widened as he saw the scythes coming down and hurriedly rolled out of the way.

Merrick turned to Warren; heart pounding as he slowly approached the wounded man. The orichalcum skin that covered most of his body was beginning to crack; almost as if the serum were wearing off. Glancing down, he spotted a discarded scalpel in the midst of the debris lying underneath an over turned tray. Cautiously, he knelt down to grab it; keeping an eye on Warren. A garbled sound escaped the metallic man, a sound that almost resembled weeping. The boy frowned, swallowing hard as he took the scalpel in his hand. Yes, it was probably useless; but he needed something to defend himself with. Maybe he would luck out and find it to be made of orichalcum as well?

Warren continued to weep. The sound was eerie; made of three distinctly different pitches. He didn't seem like he was going to get up again. Merrick found a smile hitting his face.

Eve had made the bastard cry. Good.

He deserved it.

"Sa...rah..."

The boy stopped as his mother's name left Warren's lips; his heart lurching painfully. Warren continued to sob; his head dropping to the floor as he cried out again,

"Sa...rah...!"

Suddenly, he flung his arm back as if sensing how close Merrick had come and back handed the boy; sending him flying across the room. Merrick skidded into the shards of glass, stopping a few feet away from Sven. Looking at his hand, he let out a groan. The scalpel was bent at a perfect right angle,

"So much...for _that_ theory."

Warren rose from his spot, setting his sights on the jade-haired man as he turned around. He let out another roar and began to charge straight for him.

Eve noticed this, and let out a shriek, quickly shooting her scythes forward as Warren approached the jade-haired man. Sven straightened, eyes widening as Warren came within five feet of where he sat. He was certain he was going to be mauled, when suddenly he was sent gliding across the floor. Confused and in a great deal of pain, he looked up to see Warren ramming into the wall where he had just been sitting and Eve retracting a large hand made from her hair.

He frowned. The N+S drug had not worn off, but Eve had consciously changed from using a scythe to a hand.

She had chosen to protect him, in lieu of killing Warren.

_There was hope._

Merrick groaned as he pushed himself up. His eyes widened. The raven-haired man was lying in a crumpled heap at the wall; his skin having returned to a normal color and his grey suit in tatters. He swallowed hard.

Eve eyed Warren again and started toward him, knocking Train out of her way as she went. She raised her hair scythes as though preparing to strike. Swallowing hard, the boy quickly ran forward; placing himself between her and the now unconscious man,

"Eve, _stop_!"

She didn't seem to hear him. His eyes widened as she raised her scythes to cut them both down...

~ø~

_**'"EVE!"'**_

_The girl gasped as a strong voice suddenly cut through all of the others and she straightened. She listened for it again; waiting on baited breath._

~ø~

Sven grunted as he pulled himself to his feet, his hip sending daggers of pain through his body in protest. Eve stopped, her scythes mere inches from cutting Merrick through. The boy swallowed hard and slowly turned his gaze to Sven. He kept himself completely still; not daring to move. Train straightened as he rose to his knees; eyes wide as he looked at his partner.

He could tell it was taking Sven all of the strength he had to keep himself from falling down.

The jade-haired man winced, calling to her again,

"Eve, you can stop, now. It's over!"

~ø~

_She rose her head up, the room seeming to get a little brighter with his words,_

_"Over?"_

~ø~

"O...ver?"

She repeated, turning away from Merrick and Warren and setting her sights on Sven.

The man straightened, nodding shortly.

"What...does... it... mean...? O...ver?"

It killed him to see her this way, so confused and lost. Her eyes were completely blank.

"It means...you're free."

~ø~

_**'"What does it mean...to be free?"'**_

_She smiled, tears trailing down her cheeks as the room continued to brighten and she walked forward. _

_There was a door up ahead._

_**'"Does it mean...I don't have to kill anymore?"'**_

~ø~

"Yeah," Sven began, his eyes growing blurry with tears as he watched the girl's skin slowly change back to a natural colour,

"You can stop, now. You don't have to hurt anybody, anymore. It's okay."

Her hair scythes slowly retracted, reverting to long, golden locks of hair.

~ø~

_**'"Then..."**_

_She reached out to it, grabbing hold of the door knob. Turning it slowly, she smiled as a bright light flooded her vision._

_**'"...I want to be free."'**_

~ø~

Eve gasped as she found herself staring right at Sven. She blinked, glancing around in confusion.

Merrick was standing a few feet behind her, and behind him lay an unconscious Jonas Warren. To her right, she could see Train kneeling on the floor, seemingly out of breath. She then turned back to Sven, her bright, ruby eyes filling with tears.

He looked frightened and pale; almost fragile.

His voice was soft as he spoke.

"Eve?"

A tear hit her cheek and she swallowed hard as she gazed at him,

"Sven...?"

He smiled in relief and exhaled, nodding shortly to her. Without another word, the girl broke into a run and threw herself into his arms; unwittingly knocking him to the floor in the process. She shook violently as she sobbed, burying her face in his jacket as he held her tight,

"It was so dark...everything was so dark...!"

"I know," he began, clearing his throat as he tried not to choke up,

"But you're all right, now. I've got you."

Merrick smiled as he silently watched them from afar. The man rocked her gently, running a hand over her hair as she sobbed. He was whispering something to her, but the boy couldn't hear it. Words of comfort, probably.

Train sighed in relief, groaning as he rose to his feet,

"It looks like it wore off. The serum must have been incomplete..."

He glanced down at his gun; relieved that he hadn't had to use it on the girl, after all.

After a few minutes had passed, she finally pulled away from Sven and stood up; quickly wiping her eyes. She turned to Merrick and Train, her face flushed and her voice soft,

"I...I didn't hurt anyone...did I?"

Train grinned, nodding over at the heap of man lying by the wall,

"Just _him_."

She glanced down at Warren, her face slightly turning to a scowl,

"_Good_."

Merrick smiled at that. That definitely sounded like the Eve he knew. He took a step forward, his heart racing as he slowly approached her,

"Are you okay?"

The girl blinked in surprise, blushing slightly as he came over to meet her,

"Y-Yeah...I'm fine, now."

They both gazed at each other silently; neither sure of what to say next.

A blush flooded his cheeks, as well, and he coughed, stammering nervously,

"G-Good! That...That's great...! I'm glad!"

The girl giggled softly as they both fell silent again. She felt strangely nervous around him, now; as though her stomach were in knots.

The boy opened his mouth to say something, then, but it went dry. Why was it suddenly so hard to talk to her?

A whistle from Train only made things worse. Sven glanced back and forth between the pair; confused.

Feeling her face beginning to burn, Eve let her gaze drop to the floor. She wrung her hands together, mostly because she didn't know what else to do with them,

"I-"

A sudden yell rang out from behind the muddy-haired boy, and he spun around fast; protectively stepping in front of her.

Warren was writhing, his hands latched onto his face as he moaned loudly,

"My head...! My_ head_...!"

He rolled over and pushed himself up onto his elbows and knees; crying softly.

Looking at his hands, the man began to breathe heavily. His vision was distorted; broken.

To him, it looked like they were melting away. Frightened, he lifted his head up to look at the others in the room, his eyes settling on Sven.

The image was warped and twisted, making him look like an imposing demon. He gasped as he shrunk back against the wall; keeping his eyes on the jade-haired man as he shouted,

"STAY AWAY. DON'T COME ANY CLOSER!"

Sven raised an eyebrow at this, wincing as he shifted uncomfortably on his hip,

"Where does he think I'm going?"

Train snorted, almost finding the man's breakdown to be amusing,

"Hell, if _I_ know..."

"Ah...Ahhhh," Warren stammered; visibly shaking as he glanced about the room,

"S-S-STOP. I'LL KILL YOU. I SWEAR...I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU!"

He began reaching up behind his ear; his hand trembling violently.

Eve straightened, her eyes widening as she remembered something he'd said earlier; about Merrick,

_'"I decided it would be best to install a WiFi nano-receptor at the base of the boy's brain. It allows me to access the Vision Eye Network at any time, any place."' _

"No, don't!"

It was too late. He slammed his finger down onto the button set behind his ear; his chest heaving fearfully.

Eve quickly turned to Merrick. The boy blinked, glancing down at her calmly.

He was fine? She then sighed in relief. That was right. Sven had already destroyed the network. They were safe.

A sudden red light began flashing in the room, followed by the booming sound of a woman's voice.

_** "WARNING. SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE, INITIATED."**_

* * *

_**A/N: Only two chapters to go, now. How will it all end?  
**_

_**-le sob-  
**_


	68. LVIX

**A/N: Well, here we go, boys and girls. The party is starting...  
**

**For extra dramatic effect, try listening to "Bye Bye Ponds" and "Amelia's Last Farewell" from the Doctor Who Series 7 OST. They're up on youtube.  
**

**I was weeping...like an angel. -badumchaaaaa-  
**

**-is shot-  
**

**Anyway, enjoy!  
**

* * *

**LVIX**

_**"WARNING. SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE, INITIATED."**_

Train groaned at that, the floor beginning to rumble beneath them,

"I knew this was _too_ easy..."

Warren began to cackle maniacally as the red lights flashed overhead; Eve swallowing hard.

The only demon around here was_ him_.

Quickly rushing over to Sven, Train helped his partner to his feet; pulling his arm around his shoulders to keep him steady,

"I got ya, big guy."

Sven's eyebrow twitched in annoyance at the comment, but there was no time for banter. They had to leave.

Train motioned for Eve and Merrick as they rushed for the door; nodding vigorously,

"Come on! We have to go!"

_**"WARNING. SELF DESTRUCT SEQUENCE, INITIATED," **_the voice mechanically repeated,

_**"5 MINUTES TO SELF DESTRUCT."**_

Eve turned and quickly hurried after them, glancing back at Merrick as she reached the door,

"Merrick!"

The boy gazed at Warren for a moment; chills snaking down his spine. The man's mind was completely gone. His cackles bellowed loudly throughout the room; echoing off the walls and nearly overpowering the alarms. He felt angry gazing at him, but at the same time...

_'"Sa...rah..."'_

"Merrick,_ come on_!"

Jumping at the sound of her voice, the boy nodded and hesitantly ran from the room; following close behind them.

~ø~

Kevin cursed as the tunnels began to shake; rocks beginning to fall from the ceiling. Red lights flashed up and down the pathway, and he turned to the others, his eyes wide,

"It's coming down! Everyone back to the entrance!"

Leon shook his head, hopping on his hover board quickly,

"No way! Not until I find Eve!"

He flew off, heading down a tunnel that branched off to his right.

River called after him, a bead of sweat trailing down his cheek,

"Kid, come back!"

He'd already disappeared from sight.

River made to go after him, but Silphy quickly grabbed his arm and shook her head,

"There's no time! He's on his own, now!"

The sandy-blonde haired man swallowed hard as he looked back down the tunnel Leon had flown into.

Reluctantly, he followed the group back to the entrance; heading in the opposite way as the boy had gone.

~ø~

Sven yelped as they reached the top of the stairwell; his leg having caught one of the steps. It had roughly yanked on his hip.

Eve straightened at the sound, heart pounding with worry,

"Sven, are you okay!?"

Seeing that the pain was preventing him from immediately answering her, Train answered for him,

"He'll be fine, Princess! We've gotta keep moving for, now!"

_**"WARNING. 3 MINUTES TO SELF DESTRUCT."**_

They reached the long hallway that led back outside, Train and Sven in the lead. Eve began to follow, stopping when she didn't sense Merrick around her. She stopped and turned back; spotting him still standing at the doorway,

"Merrick, come on! We have to get out of here!"

Train stopped at the sound of her shout, he and Sven now a few yards ahead of them. What was the kid doing?

Merrick bowed his head, his eyes closing lightly as he put his hand on the wall,

"I can't leave him..."

Eve straightened at that, her eyes wide in shock,

"_What_...?"

The muddy-haired boy took a deep breath as he stood up straight, glancing back to the stairwell,

"I can't leave him behind...he needs help-"

"Are you _joking_!?"

She shrieked, her voice laced with panic,

"Do you realise what you're _saying_!? Look at what he's done! To the world...to Sven...even to _you_! Merrick, he _killed_ your _mother_! He brought this on himself! How can you still want to help him after all of the evil things he's done!?"

"Because he's still my _father_," the boy shouted back, a pained tone in his voice,

"And if I don't...then I'm _no _better than_ he _is!"

Train bowed his head at the boy's words. The kid was right. Even with all of the evil that Warren had done, it felt wrong to leave him behind; if only because he wouldn't get the chance to mull over his actions in a jail cell.

_**"WARNING. 2 MINUTES TO SELF DESTRUCT."**_

Eve shook her head as the alarm sounded again, her eyes glistening in the flashing lights,

"Merrick, you can't-"

"I have to," the boy interrupted, sighing deeply as she started back over to him,

"I'm sorry."

The girl nodded at that, biting her lip and clenching her fists,

"Then, I'll go with you."

Sven straightened at her words, his eyes widening fearfully,

"_Eve_..."

Merrick quickly shook his head, sharply refusing her,

"No. You stay with Sven and Train. This is something I have to do alone-"

"But why," the girl protested, and he pressed a finger to her lips.

He offered a sad smile and swallowed hard,

"Because...it's time I stopped running away."

Eve blinked in surprise at his words, her heart beginning to sink. She bowed her head sadly and nodded. Tears came to her eyes and furiously, she tried to will them away. A soft gasp escaped her as his hand brushed her cheek; catching said tears as they began to fall.

She lifted her head to look at him; her heart pounding madly in her chest.

Slowly, he leaned down and softly pressed his lips to hers. The girl's eyes widened at this, and she froze.

Behind her, Sven and Train stood in silence, both seeming to have turned to stone from shock.

As he pulled away, he brushed a few more drops from her cheek, and grinned sheepishly,

"Goodbye, Eve."

Stepping away from her, the girl shook her head and reached for him,

"Merrick, wai-"

Time suddenly slowed around him, and she stood stock still; like a statue. He stepped back and glanced up at Train, whom was also frozen. The only other person who was still moving was Sven and the man looked horrified.

Merrick smiled, a tear gliding down his cheek as he turned to the jade-haired man,

"Take care of her."

Startled, Sven quickly nodded to him,

"I will."

With that, the boy turned away.

The jade-haired man then blinked and upon opening his eyes, time began moving again. The boy was gone.

Eve straightened, her eyes wide as she stared at the suddenly empty spot before her,

"Merrick...?"

Swallowing hard, she started for the doorway, Train frantically calling after her,

"Princess!"

Suddenly, she was pulled off of her feet. She found herself sailing fast in the opposite direction, passing Train and Sven on the way. She was confused. Glancing up, she found that she was now in the arms of a boy with short, blue hair,

"Leon!?"

He said nothing to her. She turned her eyes back to the tunnel; the spot where she'd last seen Merrick getting further and further away by the second. She began to wriggle, trying to free herself from the boy's grasp as she screamed,

"Let me go! Please! We can't leave him! Leon, _please_!"

_**"WARNING. 1 MINUTE TO SELF DESTRUCT."**_

~ø~

Merrick cursed as he ran back down the stairs; the ceiling beginning to giveway overhead. He dodged chunks of rock and electrical fixtures as they came crashing down around him; his heart pounding. He threw open the doors to the lab as he reached it, coughing sharply as he was met with smoke and sparking machinery. He squinted, making his way around the caved in areas of ceiling to get to Warren. The man had ceased his cackling at this point, and had taken to staring straight ahead.

Kneeling down, the boy grabbed him by the arm and helped him to his feet. He turned back for the entrance, cursing as the ceiling began to fall. He quickly pulled Warren back and away from the area, eyes wide as the doorway became sealed off by debris. That had been the only way out. His heart dropped.

_"The observation room," _called a female voice. She sounded familiar,

_"Hurry!"_

Quickly doing as the voice suggested, the boy straightened. There was, infact, an exit in the observation room, he noted as he hurried through the open door. It led to more tunnels. Merrick took a deep breath as he started down the pathway before him; the lights still flashing over head.

_**"WARNING. 1 MINUTE TO SELF DESTRUCT."**_

~ø~

Flying back up through the entryway, Leon made sure to take her a safe distance away and set her down at the clearing's edge. He then flew back toward the entrance as Train appeared with Sven; helping them get to safety as well. They set Sven down by a tree beside Eve and Train nodded to the boy,

"Thanks, Leon."

The boy nodded in return. A few seconds later, another group filed out of the entrance; running at full speed. It was River, Kevin, and Silphy.

Eve straightened as the trio hurried over to them and set her eyes back on the opening. No one else seemed to be coming through.

"Heartnet," Sephiria called over to them, confusion written on her face,

"Is it finished?"

Train sighed deeply, shaking his head,

"If you mean, _'did I kill him', _then no, I didn't. Sorry."

He then glanced behind her, his eyes settling on a coat that had been draped over what looked to be a body. Taking a head count of the Numbers, he swallowed hard,

"Now, I really _am_ sorry."

Sven frowned and glanced over as well; his stomach dropping at the sight.

_'"Maybe you should call an ambulance, too. You don't look so good."'_

Eve kept her eyes fixed on the entrance, the wind softly battering her golden locks,

"Hurry, Merrick."

~ø~

_'"Please, hurry..."'_

The boy grunted as he reached a fork in the tunnels swallowing hard,

"Which way!?"

_"Left."_

He straightened. This time the voice had been masculine.

_**"29...28...27..."**_

He headed down the tunnel to his left; practically pulling the vegetated man along with him. He could hear the sound of rushing water as he headed further in; his heart leaping with joy. It looked like there might be a light at the end of this tunnel, after all, he thought; no pun intended. It seemed to drag on endlessly.

_**"26...25...24..."**_

It was going to be iffy as to whether he would make it out or not at this rate; what with the dead weight he was dragging behind him.

_**"...23...22...21..."**_

"Leave me..."

The boy nearly stopped at the weak sound of Warren's voice; a deep frown on his face,

"I'm sorry?"

"Leave me," Warren repeated, his eyes focused on the ground,

"I...I want to die."

Merrick smirked, shaking his head as he adjusted the man on his shoulder,

"Sorry, pal...but that ain't gonna happen."

Warren silenced for a moment.

"Why?"

The muddy-haired boy frowned, raising an eyebrow at him,

"Why, what?"

"Why...would you save me? Why do you care?"

_**"...10...9...8..."**_

"Why do I _care_...?"

The boy laughed nervously, seeing the literal light at the end of the tunnel this time.

"I-I don't know exactly if I would put it _that _way. Every bone in my body wants to just let you_ rot _here...but I can't do that."

_**"...7...6...5..."**_

"Why not?"

Warren repeated, sounding genuinely confused. Again, Merrick laughed and shook his head,

"I don't _know_! Maybe...maybe I just want to believe..."

_**"...4...3..."**_

"That somewhere in that..._deranged_ head of yours...

_**"...2..."**_

"...you're still my dad."

**"1."**

The boy stopped as he heard a loud explosion from behind him, and he glanced up; eyes wide as he watched the ceiling begin to ripple like waves in the ocean...

~ø~

Biting her lip, Eve made a run for the entrance, Train calling to her in a panic,

"_PRINCESS!_"

She was only a few feet from it when she felt a rumble under her feet. She stopped, her eyes widening as an enormous fireball poured through the open entryway; shooting nearly 50 feet into the sky. The intense power of the blast caused her to fall backward and she sat in the grass, watching the ominous cloud of smoke and flame grow higher and higher. The ground continued to rumble and Leon quickly flew out to her, Sephiria shouting to the others,

"Everyone, get back!"

The earth began to give way beneath Eve's feet and the girl gasped as she suddenly began to fall. Her arm slipped from Leon's grasp, and the boy let out a shout,

"Eve!"

She dropped only a few feet before a pair of elegant wings shot forth from her back; and she flew back to the surface; watching in horror as the ground collapsed. It stopped just a few feet before the tree line. Sven gaped blankly at the vast chasm that had opened up in front of him; the vision of a boy lying pinned under debris entering his mind...

~ø~

Merrick gasped painfully as he gazed up at the fallen ceiling; his breathing heavy and laboured. Something had stabbed him. What, he didn't know, and where, he didn't know, but he could feel it. A heavy slab of rock had broken over top of him; pinning him down. The heaviest part weighed down on his gut and he winced. It was getting very hard to breathe, now. He must have punctured a lung. He felt tears hit his eyes. Was this it? Was this, at the end of it all, how he was going to go out? Pinned down and crying in a collapsed cavern?

Warren sat off to the side, completely unharmed. The boy weakly looked over at him.

-ø-

_He caught sight of the fireball headed toward them, and without a second thought, he tossed the man to the side and into a small alcove of rock,_

_"Move!"_

_The ceiling came down on him then, almost mercifully, as it blocked him from being blasted by the flames..._

-ø-

"Why aren't you running away...?"

He said weakly; a sad tone to his voice. Warren seemed shaken. The boy snarled at this, tears leaking from his eyes as he screamed at the man,

"Well, go _on_! Get _out _of here! What's _stopping _you!? You _won_, didn't you!?"

He let his head fall back then and turned his eyes back to the ceiling; exhausted.

His strength was beginning to leave him.

"Seriously..." he coughed, wincing as he felt whatever sharp object had clipped him sink in deeper,

"Just go...there's no point...in you dying down here, too."

He could hear Warren shuffle about a bit, but he didn't bother to look. He was too tired, now. Too tired to fight anymore.

This was it, he supposed. The end.

A tear hit his cheek and he whimpered, closing his eyes,

"I'm sorry, Eve...I'm so sorry..."

A few moments silently passed, when suddenly, he felt a strange warmth enveloped his head.

_"Don't be sad, Merry."_

He knew that voice. Slowly, he opened his eyes and he straightened; shocked to find a young woman with fiery hair sitting over him.

"Blan...chett?"

Behind her, he could see two other women. One was an elderly woman, and the other...

"M-Mommy?"

Sarah smiled down at him warmly,

_"Don't be scared, sweetheart. You're doing so good."_

"But I," he began to stammer, his eyes losing focus,

"I don't want...!"

_"Shhhh, Merry, it's okay," _Blanchett whispered, running her fingers through his hair,

_"You're gonna be all right, now. You're gonna be just fine."_

His eyes fluttered shut then and he could feel himself being pulled away...

~ø~

_'"I'm sorry, Eve...I'm so sorry..."'_

Eve swallowed hard as she caught the look on Sven's pale face; her eyes wide as she carefully touched down on the grass beside him,

"Sven...?"

The jade-haired man slowly turned to her. He could not look her in the eye.

She knew what that meant; he didn't need to say anything.

Silently, she turned back to the crater; tears gliding down her cheeks as she fell to her knees.

_**After four long years...it was finally over.**_


	69. LX

Epilogue

_**Six months later...in the city of Cannes.**_

A sharply dressed man strolled down the street, humming softly to himself. He wondered what today would bring him.

He scanned the area, smirking. There were so many beautiful young women in this town. On the corner sat a rather raggedy looking man, his dingy, greying beard lightly brushing the ground. He held up a cup, his voice weak and raspy,

"Penny for the poor, sir?"

The accent was one from across the sea.

He ignored the beggar, and continued down the street. There was no point in conversing with him; not when he was on a mission.

This one needed to be different from the last. This one had to be beautiful. Beautiful and tragic, yes.

That would be nice.

He spotted a young girl sitting at a bench up ahead. She was reading from a rather large text book entitled,

_**'Inner Workings of the Mind.'**_

_'College bound, perhaps?'_

He grinned. She would do just fine. A young girl with big dreams just waiting to be_ destroyed _was just what he needed.

"Excuse me, miss," he cleared his throat as he approached,

"Do you happen to have the time?"

The young blonde turned to see this suave looking man, his balding head brightly reflecting the sun. She nodded, and glanced down at the small watch on her wrist,

"It's almost 2 'o'clock."

"Thank you..."

He turned away briefly, glancing at her over his shoulder. He eyed the skirt on her uniform; how it delicately brushed her upper thigh. He then moved his eyes upward. The way her vest clung to her curves made him tingle with excitement.

The girl, feeling his eyes on her, frowned and glanced up from her book again,

"Do you need something?"

He coughed, shaking his head quickly,

"No, no. I'm just waiting for the bus. Mind if I sit with you?"

"Not at all," she smiled, moving her book bag closer to her to make room for him. He sat down, smiling to himself as he looked over at her from the corner of his eye. There was a cool breeze in the air; signifying the fall. It must have been why she was wearing a cardigan with her uniform. He cleared his throat, nodding to her book with a grin,

"You're in school, eh? What are you studying?"

"Criminal psychology. Advanced placement."

She turned the page without looking over at him. He swallowed hard, his excitement building.

She was a beautiful girl, to be sure, and no doubt, she would have one day found herself in a promising career.

It was a shame she wouldn't live to see that day. He smiled to himself,

"Criminal psychology," he began, raising an eyebrow at her,

"Dreams of working in the IBI, have you?"

"No," she said simply, shaking her head,

"I just want to be able to wrap my head around what it is that makes you _bastards_ tick."

He swallowed hard, his eyes widening as he began to stammer,

"I-I beg your pardon?"

She turned to him, her ruby eyes narrowed as she slammed her book shut and pulled an ID card out from it's spine,

"I'm a _sweeper_. Here to take you in, _**Gerald Chevé**__._"

The man gasped and quickly shot up from his seat. Turning away from her, he made a mad dash back down the street, eying the hobo on the corner. The bearded man grinned, his tattered shirt barely covering his stomach as he hobbled forward,

"_Bounty_ for the poor, sir?"

Chevé stopped as the man pulled his beard down and held up an ornate pistol, revealing himself to actually be a rather young man with chestnut hair,

"'Cause a penny just ain't gonna cover it in today's economy."

Startled, the balding man reached behind him, lifting up his shirt to reveal the gun hidden in his belt. He went to grab it, grunting softly as he felt a sudden sharp pain in his neck. He collapsed, his eyes rolling back into his head as he began to drool on the pavement.

"I hear it's bad form to _fall asleep _on the job...even in _your _line of_ 'work'_."

A man with short, lime-green hair sporting a crisp, cream coloured suit stepped up behind him, a strange looking gun in hand. With the press of a button, the nozzle on the lengthy gun retracted; reverting to a solid, silver cane.

Train snickered at the man's comment, shaking his head as he patted him on the back,

"You and your _old man _talk..."

"At least I didn't sound like I came out of a _kid's_ movie," Sven shot back, mocking the 29-year-old with a smirk,

"_'Penny for the poor, sir'_? Really, Train..."

"Give me a break," Train groaned, slapping cuffs on the unconscious Chevé,

"I haven't done disguises in a while. I wanted this to be _fun_."

The chestnut-haired man then let out a sigh and stood; the wooly beard around his neck flowing in the breeze,

"Good job with the fishing, Princess! You really nailed it this time."

Eve glanced up at him, blinking silently. She then stood and, shoving the psychology book back into her bag, turned and headed back for the car. Train swallowed hard at her reaction and Sven sighed deeply, adjusting his fedora,

"C'mon. Let's go collect the bounty."

He started back for the car as well; leaning on the cane for support.

Train sighed deeply, dragging Chevé by the collar behind him,

"Wait up!"

~ø~

"Here you are!"

The clerk handed him the check as he finished signing his name, and he handed her back the pen, nodding gratefully,

"Thank you."

Hobbling back out to the car, Sven opened the side door and sat down in the passenger seat; Train glancing over at him curiously,

"So?"

"After taxes," Sven groaned, taking off his fedora with a sigh,

"We're just a little over $7 mil..."

"That's_ it_? I thought the bounty rolled over!"

"Only by a million a year," Sven groaned, taking a cigarette from his pocket and placing it on his lips,

"And tax is 35%. You do the math."

"Geez," Train scowled, starting the car with a growl,

"What a _rip_! Here I thought we were doing so well."

"This bounty doesn't even put a dent in my medical bills," the lime-haired man sighed; calmly bringing up a lighter,

"You should have just let me _die_, Train. It would have been _cheaper_."

"Ah ah," the chestnut-haired man quipped, snatching the cigarette from the man's lips and tossing it outside,

"No cigarettes. Doctor's orders, remember? We dug ourselves in a hole paying for him and we're not gonna have you _screw_ things up just cause you want to blow a few _doughnut holes _out your nose."

"I'm a _gentleman_, Train," Sven seethed, rubbing his temple in aggravation,

"It's part of my_ code_."

"What the hell does that even_ mean_!?"

Eve sighed as the two continued to argue, and turned to her window; resting her head against the glass. Her gaze fell to the street.

It was nearly 5, now.

~ø~

Train sighed as he hung up his phone and headed over to the long table where Sven sat working on his cane,

"All right. I just got us three tickets on the next flight headed back to Elsida. The rental place is right next to the airport, so we can drop the car off on our way out."

"Hmm..."

Sven nodded, fully engaged in what he was working on. Train raised an eyebrow at this,

"Shouldn't you be in bed? Today was pretty intense."

"Can't sleep," he began; setting a screw in his mouth as he opened a small panel in the cane's hilt,

"Too many ideas."

The chestnut-haired man smiled. He had to admit, he had been missing this. For the past few months, it had been quite a struggle.

The fracture in Sven's hip had been severe, so severe, in fact, that it had had to be replaced.

_Twice_.

The doctors had speculated it would take him a year or more to get back on his feet, what with how frail he had been. Sven had certainly proved them wrong, though, and in amazing time, too. Three months was all it had taken for him to regain mobility. He'd been forced to use a cane, however, as his steps were extremely unsteady. At first, he'd been opposed to it; but when Train had suggested he modify it like the weapon case...

"What are you adding this time?"

"A net function."

"Nice! That'll come in pretty handy when our targets decide they want to test out their new _cross trainers_."

"Of course it _will_. Why do you think I'm _installing _one?"

That was one thing he _hadn't _missed; the snippy moods Sven fell into when he worked.

Train glanced up as he heard the bathroom door open, and Eve emerged in a grey sweater and leggings; drying her hair with a towel.

He smiled,

"Hey, Princess. Seriously, awesome job today. You were great."

The girl said nothing and instead, trudged over to the nearby bed. She turned the light out on the bedside table and rolled away from them, pulling the covers up.

Train sighed at this and glanced down at his partner.

Sven bowed his head and silently continued to work on his cane.

Eve closed her eyes...

-ø-

_ She stood at the centre of the midway, a glittering ferris wheel standing tall above her. Glancing around, she frowned and started forward. She couldn't see anyone. After a few minutes, she spotted him by the waterside; fireworks booming overhead. He had his back to her; blue knapsack over his shoulder._

_**'"It's time I stopped running away."'**_

_She called his name, but he couldn't hear her. She tried to run forward, but he kept getting further and further away._

_The fireworks were beautiful. He turned around._

_ Suddenly, they were back in the underground lab, the hallway caving in around them. He was standing right in front of her now._

_Slowly, he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. The girl's eyes widened at this, and she froze._

_His lips were soft. Surprisingly soft. They felt nice. She looked up to see that his eyes were closed. Should she close her eyes as well? _

_If she did...would he still be there when she opened them?_

-ø-

_"Goodbye, Eve."_

Eve gasped softly as she was suddenly jolted awake by the sound of loud booming. She sat up in bed, glancing around. Sven was already asleep in the bed across the room from her, and Train had taken an uncomfortable spot on the floor. Rolling back over onto her side, she hugged her pillow and swallowed hard; a tear escaping her. It ran down her nose, splashing softly onto her pillowcase as she silently watched the brilliant splash of colour that lit up the night sky outside her window.

~ø~

The next morning, they arrived at the airport; their bags fully packed and ready to go. It would be an hour or more until their scheduled flight, so they decided to sit and wait at the airline's café. Eve sighed as she idly stirred her coffee; barely paying attention as Train and Sven came back to the table.

"Oh, what? Now, I can't have coffee, either," the lime-haired man growled as his partner switched cups with him.

Train shook his head,

"Not till we get an okay from the doc. No caffeine, no cigarettes-"

"No manhood."

"- and no sass," the chestnut-haired man quipped back; slapping the styrofoam cup down in front of Sven,

"Here. Milk. It'll help with those _brittle bones _you _old men _get."

Sven glared at him, eyes narrowed to slits in annoyance,

"You're _enjoying _this, aren't you?"

"Only _too_ much."

He then turned to Eve and smiled, taking a large bite from his egg sandwich,

"Something eating you, Princess?"

She gasped as she was drawn from her thoughts, quickly shaking her head as she glanced up at him,

"No. I'm fine."

"You sure," he continued, a piece of egg landing on his chin,

"You seem pretty bummed about something. If you wanna talk-"

"I said, I'm _fine_!"

She shouted suddenly, startling the two men. Biting her lip, she bowed her head and pushed away from the table,

"I have to throw this away."

Sven sighed as he watched the girl slowly trudge off toward the trash bins. She tossed the cup into one, then headed on into the bathroom nearby. Train swallowed hard,

"Geez. Bite my head off, why don't you?"

"Well, look _who_ it is! Hey, you two!"

Train and Sven both swivelled in their chairs, surprised to see whom the voice belonged to,

"Rinslet!"

The lavender-haired woman smiled, her skin-tight red dress shimmering as she approached them. She lit up upon seeing Sven, her eyes wide,

"Wow, Sven! You look amazing! Has it really only been six months?"

"Yeah," he grinned, leaning back in his chair,

"Only 30 pounds more to go until I'm back to my old weight."

"Must be nice not looking like a skeleton, huh?"

"It'd be nicer if my jacket would fit," he groaned; taking a sip of the milk Train had forced on him.

"It will, don't worry," she said, sitting down in the chair opposite him as she eyed his outfit.

His jacket was the only piece missing from the old version. It was now replaced by a waistcoat,

"Until then, though, this whole vest thing you've got going on makes you look _years_ younger."

His eyebrow twitched at that, and he glared at her, the woman giggling softly,

"Not that you look _old_ or anything..."

"I hate all of you."

Train sighed as he finished his sandwich and wiped his mouth; turning to her with a concerned frown,

"So, how have you been? With what happened, I mean..."

She straightened, her face growing a tad pale with his words. What he was implying...

Quickly, she shook her head and smiled; shrugging,

"Oh, I've been great! Just finished a job in Sapidoa. They weren't happy to see_ me _again. Speaking of, there isn't a chance you guys are headed to Rubeck, are you? Cause there's this job that-"

"_NO_."

The woman leaned back in the chair, waving down their irritated looks,

"Okay, all right! Sorry I asked..."

"So, you've been okay, then?"

Sven raised an eyebrow as she fell silent; noticing how her eyes momentarily fell to the table.

Sucking in a deep breath, she nodded shortly,

"Yeah...I've been okay."

There was an awkward silence between them for a minute, Rinslet clearing her throat,

"How's Eve been? Has _she _been all right?"

Train sighed, resting his cheek on his fist,

"She won't talk about it. I tried...she bit my head off."

"Have _you _tried talking to her?"

She looked to Sven, who said nothing. Sighing deeply, she folded her arms across her chest,

"You need to _try_, Sven. If she'll open up to anyone, it'll be you. She hasn't had to deal with a loss like this one before and it's not good for her to bottle it all up inside. Especially if they were together..."

"_Together_?"

Sven repeated, a suspicious tone in his voice,

"What are you_ implying_?"

"Nothing," Rinslet shot back, shaking her head,

"But Eve's a grown woman, now. You're gonna have to deal with that sooner or later."

"_And_...?"

"_And,_" the lavender-haired woman pressed, throwing her hands up in the air,

"There's a possibility that she and Merrick may have been _more_..."

The lime-haired man's eye twitched at that, and he went back to sipping at his milk.

Rinslet sighed, shaking her head as she spotted the girl coming back over from the bathroom,

"Fine, but let me just say that if _I_ were in her shoes...I'd _really_ want someone to talk to right about now."

She then stood, squealing as she happily rushed over to the young blonde and threw her arms around her,

"Oh, Eve! It's so good to see you! That sweater's really _cute _on you!"

Sven frowned. Eve still had on what she'd been wearing the night before.

In fact, with the exception of the successful fishing of Gerald Chevé, she had been wearing that same grey sweater and leggings since...

He swallowed hard.

The girl smiled as Rinslet pushed at her cheeks and played with her hair; glancing over to the men with a pitiful expression on her face.

After a few minutes, there was a call overhead and the woman sighed; quickly grabbing her carry on,

"Well, that's me. I'll see you guys around. Ciao~!"

She hurried off to catch her flight.

Another call sounded and the trio quickly gathered their things as well.

"And that's us," Train said, hoisting his bag over his shoulder as he stood.

Eve quietly grabbed her bag, and Sven cleared his throat,

"Do you need help with that?"

The ruby-eyed girl blinked, shaking her head with a small smile,

"No, I've got it. Thank you."

He stared at her a minute, opening his mouth to say something else. Coughing nervously, he picked up his bag and grabbed his cane,

"Well, let's hurry. We don't want miss our flight."

Eve straightened as he hurriedly hobbled away, her gaze falling. Pulling her back pack on, she slowly followed behind them to the terminal.

~ø~

Rinslet let out a deep sigh as she sat down in her seat by the window. She glanced around, smiling at a few of the other passengers kindly. After a moment, she took out her phone and flipped it open; scrolling through her saved messages.

The oldest one in the file was from six months ago...

-ø-

_She had been sitting on the porch when the IBI pulled up. A man with small eyes and black hair stepped out of the car first. Annette came out onto the step behind her, holding out her hand,_

_"William Smith, right?"_

_"Yes ma'am," he began nervously; clearing his throat,_

_"You called about a lead on the Vollfied case?"_

_ "Yeah," she said, snorting in annoyance,_

_"We picked up the slack where you boys left off. He's on his way home, now."_

_"What!? But...how do you know that?"_

_She held up her phone, again snorting at him,_

_"'Cause he just texted me, hot shot..."_

_The lavender-haired woman ceased listening to their conversation as she spotted a black van in the distance. Slowly she stood and started for the car; nearly breaking into a run as it came to a stop across the street. Train came out first, keeping a strong grip on Sven's arm as he helped him out of the car. Before she knew it, she found herself crying as she ran; chest heaving as she threw her arms around the jade-haired man's skeletal frame. He seemed startled by this, and awkwardly hugged her back. He looked so frail, but she didn't care._

_It was an improvement from seeing him lying lifeless in a bed._

_ A jeep pulled up behind them, then, and she turned; wiping her eyes with a smile. Sephiria stepped out first, followed by Lin Xiao Li and Nizer. Both men headed to the back of the car. She frowned. Where was Jenos?_

_Sephiria bowed her head as she approached the woman; her eyes glistening with tears. She was holding something in her hands; something enveloped in a red cloth. The shape of it..._

_ She found herself backing away; her head shaking violently as she ran around Sephiria and over to Li and Nizer. They had opened the back of the jeep up and she found herself frozen as she gazed inside. There was a man lying there; covered up by a coat. Slowly, she stepped toward it; her eyes coming to tears as she pulled the coat away from his face. Beneath it lay Jenos Hazard, his mahogany hair sprawled out around his head like a halo. His face was ashen and cool as she touched it; his lips a faded purple. She let out a gasping sob and bent down; pressing her forehead to his as she cradled his head in her hands. Tears dripped down her nose as she quietly wept; each drop splashing softly on his cheeks._

-ø-

A tear escaped her as she gazed at the message he'd written forever ago; the last message he had ever sent to her,

_'__**See you soon, babe**_**.**_'_

The little heart at the end still made her smile and she laughed softly; quickly wiping her eyes,

"Oh, Jenos. You were such an_ idiot_..."

She clapped the phone shut and placed it to her heart, smiling to herself...

~ø~

_** '**__"...my stupid idiot."'_

The trio arrived in Elsida a few hours later. Picking up Sven's car from the storage facility a few blocks away, they headed to their recently rebuilt safe house to regroup. Train exhaled deeply as they crossed the threshold, and smiled, setting his bags down on the sofa,

"Wow, the feds really went all out on this place. You should get kidnapped more often, Svenny-baby."

"Yeah, don't _plan_ on it. And the money didn't come from the IBI, it came _solely_ from William, as an apology for giving the case up so early."

"Did you tell him you knew it wasn't his fault," the chestnut-haired man said; raising an eyebrow curiously,

"That the chief had been bought off by Warren?"

"I might have let it slip my mind."

Train felt his stomach turn at that, and he narrowed his eyes at the lime-haired man,

"You're such a_ cheapskate_."

Sven ignored him and sat down on the loveseat, picking up a menu that sat on the table,

"Should I order a pizza? What are you two up for?"

"Everything under the sun," Train groaned, flopping down on the couch,

"I am _starving."_

"You're _always _starving."

He leaned back, turning his head toward the petite blonde,

"What about you, Eve? You want anything?"

"No," she said softly, her head bowed. Turning away from them, she headed to her room and shut the door,

"I'm going to bed."

"But it's only 6'o'clock," Train called, a worried expression on his face,

"Princess-!"

She had already closed the door.

He sighed deeply, and laid back on the sofa,

"She's really upset..."

"Yeah," Sven agreed; his voice soft and sad.

"Y'know...maybe you _should_ talk to her. Try and get her to open up."

"People grieve in different ways, Train. When she _wants_ to talk about it, she'll_ talk _about it."

"Yeah, I know," the chestnut-haired man groaned; laying his head back onto the arm of the couch,

"But...maybe she _does_ wanna talk..."

Sven swallowed hard as the man continued,

"...and she just doesn't know where to_ start_."

He took off his fedora, twirling it idly in his hands.

~ø~

Eve sighed as she unpacked her bags and placed her clothing back in her dresser. She gasped as she hit the bottom, and slowly reached in; pulling out a photo strip. A smile hit her lips as she looked at it; tracing the images with her fingertips.

_'"It's a photo booth, say mozzarella!"'_

-ø-

_**FLASH.**_

_ Smirking, she grabbed a hold of his cheeks and pulled them to either side._

_**FLASH.**_

_ Next, she rose two fingers behind his head and stuck out her tongue._

_**FLASH.**_

_ Pulling two clumps of his hair into pigtails, she grinned._

_**FLASH.**_

_ For the last one, he leaned over and planted a kiss on her cheek. _

_The girl stopped; her eyes wide._

_**FLASH.**_

_ He quickly pulled away from her and flattened himself back against the wall. She touched a hand to her cheek and blinked up at him. They both remained silent as they stared at one another._

_**FLASH.**_

_ The machine began to whirr then, and a few seconds later, a strip of photos popped out from a slot in the wall. The boy swallowed hard as she retrieved them and watched silently as she exited the booth. She walked a few feet away, gazing at the last two photos._

_He...kissed her. Her face turned bright red as she stared at it; jumping as she suddenly heard his voice,_

_"L-Listen, Eve...about that kiss-"_

_"It didn't come out."_

_Quickly, she tore the bottom two photos off of the strip. _

_"It's a shame," she began, turning to face him as she subtly slipped the two into her back pocket and handed him the rest,_

_"It would have been cute, too."_

-ø-

A tear splashed onto the glossy photo strip and she gasped; quickly wiping it off before it harmed the image. Seeing that it had not been adversely affected, she sat down on the edge of the bed and continued to stare at it.

It hurt to look at. _He_ hurt to look at.

She squeezed her eyes shut and pulled the strip to her heart.

It had been six months. By this point, she should have been over it. That's what all the books had told her. She started reading them about a week or so after the incident. Back then, she had been relatively okay. Sven had been on bedrest from the surgery, so she had focused on nursing him back to health. She had gone back to washing dishes for Annette on the side and had also done some occasional sweeping by herself.

After three months, Sven was back on his feet. The doctor had called it a miracle. Train had called the doctor,_ 'stupid'_.

Sven had called the doctor and apologised; fearing he'd overcharge them for the name calling.

Then, they got the bill and Sven nearly had a heart attack. So, the trio took up sweeping again. Unfortunately, their luck had been very low, that was, until they finally bagged Gerald Chevé. Like Sven had said though, after taxes, his bounty_ still _wasn't enough to cover the bills.

That led her back to this moment, and this heart broken feeling as she gazed at his picture,

"Merrick..."

She whimpered as his name left her lips for the first time in six months. Sven hadn't told her what he'd seen; he hadn't needed to.

She could tell by the look on his face that the boy had...

And when he hadn't emerged from the rubble, after days of searching for him...

Another tear fell from her eye and she quickly wiped it away; holding the picture at her lap.

She knew that Train and Sven were worried about her. She could tell by the looks on their faces. But Sven was still recovering and Train was, well..._Train_.

She couldn't bother them with this. She'd be over it in no time; she was certain.

The lump in her throat grew bigger.

Why couldn't she have been wired more like the books said...?

A knock at the door startled her and she jumped, quickly sliding the picture underneath a book resting on her nightstand,

"Y-Yes?"

It opened slightly and Sven poked his head in,

"Are you all right?"

The girl nodded sharply, forcing a smile,

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine."

"Okay," he began, sighing deeply,

"I thought I heard you...never mind. I'll let you sleep."

He started to close the door. Eve straightened at that; opening her mouth to say something.

Only a small squeak escaped her. She bit her lip and bowed her head as the room went dark again. Her throat went hard as she began to cry. She couldn't keep it in.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

She gasped, glancing up at the doorway as tears glittered down her cheeks.

Sven had come back in; a look of sympathy on his face. He knew she'd been crying.

At that, she let out a soft sob; looking to him with tears in her eyes as he hurried over and sat down beside her,

"_Why_?"

The girl burst into a sob, unable to hold it back anymore. She threw her arms around him, weeping into his shoulder.

"The books said..." she began, burying her face in his shirt,

"They said that I should be over this...that I should have gone back to normal_ months _ago! But I still...when I close my eyes, I _still_...!"

Overwhelmed by tears, the girl clung to him desperately; her entire body shaking with each gasp.

"You can't believe everything you read," he replied softly,

"Life...just doesn't work that way."

"Will it...will it _ever _get better?"

Taking a deep breath, he took out a handkerchief as he pulled back and offered her a smile as he used it to wipe away her tears,

"It'll take time, but...it'll get easier. It just takes time."

The girl smiled at that and nodded shortly.

She quietly leaned over and hugged him again; a sigh escaping her as she closed her eyes,

"Thanks, Sven..."

This made him smile and he held her tight. He then frowned, spotting something sticking out from under a book on her nightstand.

A photo? It certainly looked like it.

He looked closer.

_It was a photo of Merrick kissing her on the cheek. _

~ø~

An hour or so later, Sven emerged from Eve's room; looking exhausted.

Train raised an eyebrow as he came and sat back down on the loveseat,

"How'd it go?"

Sven bowed his head; his bangs shadowing his face,

"I never wanted her to have to go through something like this..."

The chestnut-haired man straightened at that, and let out a sigh; scratching his head,

"So, it was about _him_?"

He was silent. Train sighed again,

"I thought so..."

"How close were they," the lime-haired man asked softly,

"From what you could see...were they...?"

He trailed off. Train smiled at his partner's suddenly uncomfortable look and yawned; shaking his head,

"Nah, they weren't like that. Princess insisted they were just friends...that she'd hired him to help her look for you."

Sven swallowed hard. The chestnut-haired man frowned,

"Why? What did_ she _say?"

He thought back to the photo on her nightstand, saying nothing in reply.

Train grimaced as he caught the pained expression on his partner's face. His heart sank. He bowed his head,

"You think she'll be okay?"

The lime-haired man sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly...

_"I honestly don't know."_

~ø~

Annette sighed as she finished wiping down the bar, glancing toward the door as she heard the bell jingle,

"Welcome to Cait Sith," she grumbled apathetically. She should have changed the closing time to 7,

"What'll you have?"

"That dish washing job...if it's still available."

She straightened, her eyes widening as they fell on the figure standing in the doorway. A smile hit her lips...

_ "Well, I'll be damned."_

~ø~

_"You? Why did you help me?"_

-ø-

_ The muddy-haired boy blinked in surprise; raising his eyebrow,_

_"Why did I help you? Because you were in trouble, why else?"_

-ø-

_"Well, I guess we can wait out here until morning. I doubt those guys'll have the nerve to attack you, then. When the sun comes up, I'll take you back to your mom-"_

_"Annette is not my mother."_

_The muddy-haired boy straightened; blinking as she came and sat down at the trunk of the tree. She curled her legs up under her chin; sighing deeply,_

_"Technically speaking...I don't have a 'mother'."_

_ "Oh, so, you're an orphan?"_

_"No. I'm a clone."_

_He raised an eyebrow at her; shaking his head,_

_"Forget I asked..."_

-ø-

_"It's our safe house."_

_He watched, 'ooing' and 'awing' softly as she unlocked it. They both stepped inside, the boy unconsciously letting out a whistle,_

_"Not bad. You've got some nice digs here."_

_She sighed as he stepped in past her, lowering her head. With another gasp, the muddy-haired boy ran to the window, blinking in surprise,_

_"Oh wow! You can see Lunafort Tower from here! I've never been. Hey, Eve... we should go there tomorrow. What do you think-?"_

_"We have things to do. We can't."_

-ø-

_Floating up behind the boy, she grabbed him under the arms, lifting him off his feet. His eyes widened at this, and he glanced back at her; dumb-founded,_

_"What the...?"_

_He cursed then, his sack sliding off of his arm. He reached for it as it fell, grinning a little as it plopped itself down on their pursuer's head. The man let out a yelp, falling flat on his face. The boy cringed, glancing back up with slight fear as he spotted a billboard coming straight at them,_

_"Uh...Eve!?"_

_With a soft grunt, she pulled him up as high as she could, the weight of carrying him making her arms burn. She hadn't gone high enough, however, and he pulled his legs up to his stomach, the bottoms of his boots grazing the top of the sign. _

-ø-

_"So, Eve. When's your birthday?"_

_She raised an eyebrow at the muddy-haired boy, confused,_

_"Birthday?"_

_The muddy-haired boy nodded, shrugging as he shifted in his seat,_

_"Yeah, you know...the day you were born?"_

_"Oh. I...I don't have one."_

_"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, 'YOU DON'T HAVE ONE'!?"_

_"I was __**genetically engineered**__, genius. Babies born in __**test tubes **__don't have birthdays..__.__"_

_"A birthday is the day you were born. You may have been __**'genetically engineered'**__, but you were still __**born**__ in a test tube. Therefore, you __**have**__ a birthday."_

_The girl straightened and put a finger to her lips in thought,_

_"I...I never thought of it that way..."_

_"All of those books you say you've read and still you know nothing about birthdays?"_

_"I've never had one," she said softly,_

_"How __**would**__ I know?"_

_He let out a laugh at that and started the car again; the vehicle lurching into motion,_

_"Don't worry. I've had my share in the past. I can walk you through it."_

-ø-

_ "Did you find anything?"_

_Scowling, she smacked the disguised boy over the head, and sat down beside him as he moaned,_

_"Ow! What was __**that **__for?"_

_"For choosing to dress up like a girl. It's embarrassing just to be seen with you!"_

_"Hey, it's a disguise, isn't it? And besides, I've always felt that I'd look stunning in a bustier...and man, am I a KNOCK OUT!"_

-ø-

_They stopped as they reached the gates; the boy smiling slightly,_

_"Champais' annual Winter Carnival...I'd almost forgotten about it. Maggie used to take me every year. We had to scrape up any change we had just to be able to afford tickets..."_

_She smiled as she looked up at him, _

_"That sounds nice..."_

_ He nodded,_

_"It was. All the rides and the sweets...it was loads of fun. When I turned 14, Maggie wasn't feeling well, so... I wound up going alone. I met up with Blanchett during the wait for the Gravitron..."_

_The blonde straightened. His smile was so sad. _

-ø-

_"You...You idiot!"_

_She trembled as she cradled the muddy-haired boy in her arms; blood pouring profusely from the hole in his gut,_

_"Why!? Why did you do that!?"_

_ He flashed her a cheeky grin, a soft breath of laughter escaping him as a tear fell from her eye; splashing gently against his skin,_

_"Because..."_

_She shook her head; her voice crackling as the torrent of her tears poured down on him like rain from a thunder cloud,_

_"Because why!?"_

_"Because..." he began; his fingertips gently brushing away her tears,_

_"If I hadn't...he would've killed you..."_

_ She grabbed his hand as it began to fall and placed it to her heart. He smiled at that; his eye beginning to dim,_

_"Tell Sven...thanks."_

_She frowned in confusion._

_"If it hadn't been for him...I would never...have met you."_

-ø-

_ Slowly, he leaned down and softly pressed his lips to hers. The girl's eyes widened at this, and she froze._

-ø-

_"What is your name?"_

_ The muddy-haired boy leaned back against the tree; hands now behind his head,_

_"Huh? My name? What do you wanna know __**that **__for?"_

_"Because... I want to thank you."_

_He shrugged,_

_"Merrick. Merrick Satcher."_

-ø-

**"In local news, a good samaritan left a local grocery store employee a hefty tip today. The employee says he found a check for the sum of $100,000 strapped to his motorcycle when he left work this morning. Another check was donated to the Noga's Grocer's Annual Giving Back food drive, which benefits struggling families and the homeless. The samaritan wished to remain anonymous..."**

Eve blinked as she awoke to the sound of the television and rubbed her eyes of sleep. Sitting up in bed, she pulled the covers away and trudged to the door. Opening it, she smiled as she heard the sound of raised voices,

"How much longer you gonna be in there, Sven!? I need to use the john!"

_"You can wait a few minutes."_

"I can also _go_ on the_ floor_."

_"You'd better not!"_

The chestnut-haired man laughed to himself as he turned, eying Eve in the doorway. She was smiling.

"Oh, hey, Princess...! You sleep well?"

The girl nodded, giggling as Sven poked his head out from the bathroom. His face was covered in shaving cream, making him resemble those depictions of Santa Clause she was used to seeing around Christmas. Taking this opportunity, Train spun around and yanked Sven out into the hall; dashing into the bathroom before he could even protest. Sven growled at this and yelled, banging on the door angrily,

"Hey-what the _hell_!?"

Eve giggled again, Sven glancing over at her in surprise. It had been a long time since he'd heard her laugh.

He smiled at this, a feeling of relief washing over him,

"Do you want some breakfast? I can fix you an egg or...?"

The girl nodded, tucking some hair behind her ear with a grin,

"Yeah. An egg sounds good."

She followed him to the kitchen, clearing her throat as he grabbed a frying pan,

"Um...hey, Sven? Could you maybe...teach me how to do it myself?"

Quickly, he wiped the shaving cream off of his face and turned to her; smiling warmly,

"Sure, Eve...I can teach you."

~ø~

Train straightened as he finished washing his hands and stepped out of the bathroom. Hearing his phone ringing in the other room, he dashed to find it and quickly picked up, a chirpy tone in his voice,

"Y-ello?"

He froze. After a few minutes of listening, a toothy grin crossed his lips,

"You don't say...? What...? Oh, yeah."

_"I think I can get her over there."_

~ø~

"Now, make sure it's golden..."

Eve grumbled as the egg fluff slipped off of her spatula, her mouth in a tight line. She tried to pick it up again, but it kept slipping.

With a smile, Sven stepped in, seeing that she was frustrated,

"It takes practice. Here..."

He slid the spatula beneath it, effortlessly lifting it up. The girl pouted. He handed her back the spatula and smiled,

"It needs another minute. Once it's browned you can take it off the burner."

He turned, spotting Train standing behind them; grinning. At this, Sven frowned,

"_What_?"

"How come you never teach me how to cook, _Daddy_," the chestnut-haired man joked, shaking his head,

"I wanna learn, too!"

"_Shut up_," the man grumbled, hobbling back toward the bathroom. Train snickered at that, calling after him with a grin,

"Well, whatever you're gonna do in there, you'd better make it quick. Annette wants us over at the café _pronto_."

_"What for?"_

"Dunno," he shouted back with a grin, glancing over at Eve as she continued to struggle with the omelet she was making. It was starting to turn black.

He swallowed hard, his smile turning nervous,

"Just said she wants us to come by."

After a few minutes, Sven emerged from the bathroom; wiping his face with a towel,

"Okay, then. We'll go as soon as..."

He glanced over at Eve as she scooped the omelet out of the pan. It hit her plate with a 'clink'; now burnt and hard as a rock.

His eyebrow twitched as she took a bite out of it anyway. The girl turned to him with a surprised smile,

"It's good!"

Train blinked as she continued to eat the tar-black omelet; letting out a deep sigh,

"Well, at least we know where she _gets _it from."

~ø~

They arrived at the café about two hours later, Eve hopping out to help Sven. The lime-haired man smiled, shaking his head,

"I'm all right."

She stood back and let him get out on his own, tensing as he wobbled a bit before setting his cane down.

Train snickered, rounding the car toward him,

"You're so _old_."

At this, Sven swiped the cane under the chestnut-haired man's feet; tripping him. He grinned, hobbling up the front steps with a chuckle,

"You're right, this thing _does _come in pretty handy."

Train pushed himself up, rubbing his nose sorely as he trudged after them,

"Jerk."

Sven glanced back at him as he reached the door, Eve stepping up beside him,

"So, did Annette ever tell you why she wanted us to come over?"

At that, Train smirked, almost knowingly, and shook his head,

"Why don't we go in and find out?"

The lime-haired man frowned at this and opened the door; raising an eyebrow as his caught sight of a large banner,

"What the...?"

Eve stepped in beside him, her eyes wide as she read it. The sound of pops accompanied her shock; followed by floating confetti.

"_Surprise_!"

The banner read; **"Happy Birthday, Eve."**

She shook her head, glancing around at the people in the room. Annette stood at the bar, and Susan and Jessica sat at a nearby table. Leon was there as well and so were River, Kevin, and Silphy. Kyoko and Charden sat at a booth, the girl vigorously waving at them,

"Mister Black~!"

Train groaned, his eyebrow twitching in annoyance,

"What the hell is _she_ doing here?"

Eve stepped in, glancing around at the café in confusion. There was a stack of presents on the table; matching cups and plates beside them. Everyone was wearing a party hat, even Leon, who did not look the least bit enthused about it.

She frowned,

"What_ is _all this?"

Annette grinned at her,

"What does it _look_ like?"

The girl blinked as she stepped in further, shaking her head,

"But I don't _have_ a birthday..."

"Of course you _do_," the woman smiled, leaning on the bar,

"A little birdie told us _all_ about it."

"A little _birdie_...?"

_**"Geez, is she here yet? This cake ain't gonna eat itself."**_

Eve straightened; her heart beginning to pound. She knew that voice.

He stepped out from the back room, a large cake in his hands and a wild grin on his face,

"Happy Birthday."

His hair was a little longer, now; the colour no longer that of mud. In fact, it was all one colour and it looked a more natural brown; like cinnamon. He still had his lip ring, and wore that same black beanie with a laughing cat patch stitched to it.

Around his neck, hung a familiar silver wing pendant.

Merrick set the cake down on the counter, scratching the back of his head nervously as she gaped at him,

"I made you a cake. Didn't really know what else to get you. It's chocolate...I hope you like chocolate. If you don't, I can just throw this one out and make another."

She gazed at him silently, her body shaking. She didn't know what to say.

"I remember you said you didn't want to have your party until Sven could be there, too," he began, shrugging sheepishly as she just stood there; silent,

"Looks like you got your wish, huh?"

"You," she began, her body feeling chilled as she stammered in disbelief,

"You're here..."

The boy flashed a toothy grin; his lip ring gleaming in the light,

"Surprise!"

Tears hit her cheeks as she smiled back; running to him at full speed. She slammed into him rather forcefully; throwing her arms around his neck as they fell to the ground. He blinked, blushing brightly as she held him tight. Slowly, he put his arms around her as well and closed his eyes as she softly whispered,

"Thank you...for coming back."

He smiled.

_**"Don't mention it."**_

~ø~

The party seemed to go on for hours, with familiar faces coming in and out to wish Eve a happy birthday. Sven and Train had taken a seat across from Susan and Jessica, the girl smiling at them brightly,

"Guess what," she exclaimed, bouncing happily in her seat,

"If all goes well with my GPA, which I expect that it _will_, I can graduate in December and head to the academy in January! Isn't that awesome!?"

Sven smiled, nodding thoughtfully,

"You're going into the Bureau?"

The 16-year-old nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear,

"My dad gave me a gift that can help people...and I wanna make him proud of me."

"I bet he already is."

She blushed at his words.

Susan smiled at him, patting him on the hand,

"You have no idea how good it is to see you, Sven. I'm so glad you're doing better."

He smiled at her, nodding shortly as he reached for the mug in front of him,

"Thanks..."

Train quickly snatched it out of his grasp and chugged it, wincing as it burned all the way down,

"Ah-ah-ah...no coffee."

Sven growled at that; his attention soon being drawn away as he heard a soft voice behind him,

"Mr. Sven?"

Swivelling in his seat, his eyes met a woman with long blonde hair and green eyes. He straightened, a look of happy surprise on his face,

"Tearju...!"

Tearju smiled, her glasses glinting in the overhead light,

"Mr. Train called and said you were here...I heard about what happened. I hope you're feeling better, now."

He smiled and stood, offering her his spot,

"I-I am! Would you like to sit?"

She nodded, motioning to the box in her hands,

"I brought you this," she opened it to reveal a rather burnt looking blob.

He swallowed hard, a feeling of dread developing in the pit of his stomach,

_'Oh, God.'_

"It's a pie. Despite what it looks like, it's actually rather good."

"I-I see..."

He tensed as she took a step forward, inwardly cursing as she seemed to trip over absolutely nothing.

The pie flew through the air. Thinking back now, he should have asked her to _close_ the box first.

Eve and Merrick turned at the sound of a yelp, letting out a laugh at the sight of Sven now covered in blackened pie goo. Merrick raised an eyebrow as a blonde woman began frantically trying to wipe it off, glancing over at Eve curiously,

"I thought you said you didn't_ have _a mom?"

Eve smiled, shaking her head,

"I don't. She's the one I was cloned from."

The boy stared at her blankly for a moment, then shook his head with a sigh,

"Just forget I asked."

She laughed. They went back to watching them for a minute, the boy grinning,

"Just think if they got married, though. You'd have a ready-made family..."

The girl blushed, her insides churning at that.

"And Caboose could be your _mooching cousin_."

"_Train,_" she corrected, giggling at the error.

"_Whatever_," he groaned, grabbing the empty cake pan,

"I'll be right back. Dishes to wash."

"Want some help," she asked, standing up as well.

Merrick shook his head, waving her down,

"No, thanks. Just enjoy your party."

He disappeared into the kitchen. The girl smiled, turning back to the scene happily.

Almost everyone she loved and cared about was gathered under one roof. It was nice. She frowned.

_ How was it possible, though? _

~ø~

The cinnamon-haired boy finished cleaning the dishes with a sigh, gazing at his reflection in the soapy water.

_'"Merrick...?"'_

-ø-

_The voice was faint, but he'd heard it. He felt a warmth on his cheek._

_'"Hold on, please! Hold on!"_

_His eyes fluttered open and he could see a dark figure kneeling over him. Where had Blanchett gone? And Maggie? And his mother?_

_The intense weight on his stomach had disappeared. The figure knelt closer, and he could just make out a pair of spectacles. Their voice was garbled,_

_"Please, hold on! Don't...don't leave me!"_

_He frowned. Was it...Mr. Goldwynne?_

_He felt them pulling him up into their arms; his vision going black again. _

_**'"Please, hold on...!"'**_

-ø-

_ He gasped softly as he opened his eyes, confused. A doctor stood over him, warm smile on his face,_

_"Good, you're awake! We were certain you were done for...what with your wounds and all."_

_Shaking his head, he made to sit up and winced; the doctor quickly pushing him back down,_

_"Not so fast, young man! You're still terribly injured!_

_"But where...where am I? What happened?"_

_ "This is a small mining town just outside of Les Ses Leura, beyond the mountain range..." _

_The man responded, offering the boy an aspirin and some water,_

_"Now, take this. It'll help with the pain."_

_He swallowed it hard, shaking his head in confusion,_

_"I don't understand...how did I get here?"_

_ "Why," the man seemed shocked,_

_"Your father brought you here."_

_"My father?"_

_The doctor nodded,_

_"He was worried sick about you. Begged us to do anything we could to save you."_

_ "You're __**kidding**__."_

_The man seemed genuinely confused by this,_

_"Why would I kid about something like that?"_

_He shook his head; his mind fuzzy,_

_"Where is he now?"_

_ The doctor shrugged,_

_"He said he had to go take care of something...? Said he had to 'make things right'...?"_

_"How long ago?"_

-ø-

_'"Almost a month, now..."'_

Merrick sighed. Warren had disappeared after that, no trace.

A few months later, as he was finally checking out of the hospital, a check was delivered to him containing a large sum of money. Tracing it backward, he found it had all come from Warren's personal bank account. It had been mailed from somewhere on the Sonia continent, but he couldn't pinpoint where. The trail just went cold.

Shaking his head, he dried his hands off with a towel and took a peek back out into the café. Eve was sitting next to Sven, listening quietly as he and Susan chatted about the old days. Jessica was listening intently, as well. Train was stuffing his face with cake, and the woman who looked like Eve sat quietly across the booth from Sven; smiling.

Sighing deeply, he turned away and set the towel down on the sink. He then took off his apron, and quietly stepped out onto the back porch; disappearing from sight.

Eve noticed this and quickly got up, hurrying after him upon excusing herself.

She expected him to be gone, but found him sitting on the stoop,

"Is something wrong?"

He jumped as he turned to face her; eyes wide,

"What? No, I just...I needed some air."

She sat down next to him, wringing her hands in her lap,

"Can I...ask you something?"

Merrick coughed, nodding shortly as he leaned back on the palms of his hands,

"Shoot."

"How did you escape," she inquired softly. He straightened as she continued,

"We spent days looking for you...but you weren't there. The rescue teams...they said it was impossible. Rinslet even hacked a few hospital databases to try and find you...but there was nothing. I thought..."

She bowed her head, going quiet then.

The boy cleared his throat, shaking his head,

"To be honest...I don't really _know_ how I got out. The last thing I remember...I was pinned down under rocks. I think I was hallucinating, because I swear I saw Blanchett and Maggie...and my mom. I thought they were coming to take my soul off to heaven or _whatever_...I felt myself slipping away."

He then took a deep breath,

"But, I guess that was all just in my head, because when I woke up, I was in some shabby little clinic from the _dark ages_ with a doctor swearing up and down that my _father _had brought me there _begging _them to save me."

He ran a hand through his hair, and exhaled as he glanced over at her,

"Crazy, huh?"

She nodded, smiling to him warmly,

"Yeah...but it's a good kind of crazy."

They both silenced for a moment; a cool, fall breeze brushing past them as they sat in silence. The sun would be going down soon.

"Merrick."

The boy raised an eyebrow as he turned to her,

"Yeah-"

He stopped dead as she planted a soft kiss on his lips; blinking at her in surprise. As she opened her eyes, she turned bright red. She had meant for that to go on his cheek. Stammering nervously, the girl shot up and tugged at her sweater, hurrying back inside,

"Th-thank you for the party!"

He sat in shock for a moment, bringing a hand up to his lips as he smiled.

"You're welcome."

She stopped upon hearing his voice, her face burning as she glanced back at him. He just sat there, grinning like an idiot. Her blush grew darker and she forced a scowl; turning sharply away as she left the kitchen and disappeared from his sight.

She then smiled and bounded back over to the table where Train and Sven were sitting.

Merrick smiled at that, and turned his gaze back to the alleyway.

Today had been a good day.

~ø~

As the party came to a close, Sven walked Tearju out to the taxi that was waiting for her, Train letting out a whistle behind them. Sven turned and glared at him, and Tearju waved kindly. Merrick walked Eve out onto the porch, shoving his hands into his pockets,

"So..."

"So..."

They stared at each other a minute, Eve giggling as she tucked some hair behind her ear. She nervously brushed at the ends of her hair, glancing back inside,

"Do you need me to stay? And help you clean up, I mean?"

The cinnamon-haired boy quickly turned her down,

"What? No, don't be silly. It was your party, so don't worry about it. Annette and I can manage."

Eve swallowed hard, rubbing her arm nervously,

"So...what will you do, now?"

Merrick shrugged, shaking his head,

"I don't know. I hear there's a dish washing position open at this _one _café," he joked, a sly grin on his face,

"I was thinking I might take it."

They laughed, the boy glancing at the curb as he heard a car start. Sven was stepping away from the taxi now, and he waved as it pulled away; disappearing down the street. The lime-haired man then turned and started back toward the café, his eyes settling on the boy,

"I've been meaning to talk to you, _kid_."

He stepped up onto the porch, between him and Eve, and Merrick felt the colour drain from his face.

The way Sven was glaring down at him...

Out from his pocket, Sven pulled a small piece of paper and handed it to the boy. Merrick took it nervously, raising an eyebrow as he unfolded it,

"A number?"

"You ever find yourself in a pinch," the lime-haired man began, setting a hand on the boy's shoulder,

"You call. Don't hesitate."

He blinked in surprise at the gesture, an unsure smile on his face,

"Thanks..."

Sven nodded, thoughtfully looking the boy up and down,

"Your mom...she'd be proud of you."

Merrick smiled at that, quickly coughing as he felt a lump develop in his throat,

"I hope so."

Turning back for the door, he called to Train,

"C'mon, Train. Stop stuffing your face and let's go!"

Train let out a groan and shoved his hands in his pockets as he approached the door,

"There's still a ton of cake left. Can't we take some for the road?"  
"_No._"

The chestnut-haired man paused briefly as he reached Merrick, leaning in close so that Eve could not hear him,

"Sven's too much of a gentleman to say this, but I'm _not_. Let's just say, if you ever think about _hurting_ our little princess over here in _any _way, I know at least a thousand ways to dispose of your body so that no one will ever find you."

He then gave the boy a pat on the back and shook his hand,

"Good cake."

Merrick swallowed hard as he watched Train and Sven head to the car; his heart pounding fearfully.

These people were going to be the end of him, he knew it.

Eve sighed deeply and offered the boy a smile,

"Well, I guess this is goodnight."

The boy nodded, waving to her as she started down the walk,

"Yeah...I guess."

He turned to head back inside and paused. His heart was racing. His stomach was in flip flops.

Taking a deep breath, he quickly turned back and called to her,

"Hey, Eve?"

She spun around as she reached the car, quietly setting her eyes on him.

He fidgeted nervously for a second; scratching at the back of his neck,

"You, uh...you wanna do something some time? Maybe...see a movie?"

"Are you asking me out?"

The boy's face turned bright red and he cleared his throat, stuttering madly. She was blunt.

"Well, I-I-I didn't...I mean...if you don't-"

"I'd love to."

She blushed. The boy let out a nervous laugh as he started back inside, nearly tripping over the doorstep,

"O-O-Okay...cool. N-Night."

Eve giggled as he closed the door, waving shortly as she climbed into the back seat.

~ø~

Merrick leaned back against the door as the car pulled away; his heart pounding madly in his chest. He smiled to himself, still laughing as he shook his head. He had done it. He had asked Eve out on a proper date.

He then straightened, his body growing cold.

_He had done it. He had asked Eve out on a proper date._

He swallowed hard.

Train and Sven were going to have his head.

~ø~

Sven, while he wasn't exactly scowling, did not seem too pleased by this sudden development and Train began to snicker at him.

"Shut up, Train," he muttered, annoyed.

Taking a deep breath, Eve smiled to herself and looked back at the café as they pulled away.

It felt like she had what the books called 'butterflies' in her stomach.

She'd never had those before...

~ø~

_**The next morning...**_

"He_ left_!?"

Train slumped as he sat at the bar; eyes wide. Annette nodded shortly,

"Yep. He's gone."

Eve bowed her head at this, scowling sadly. What had all that been last night, then, if he had just planned on leaving the next day?

"He left this for you."

Annette nodded to the girl, holding up an envelope that was addressed to her.

She carefully took the letter, her eyes widening as she first pulled out a check. Sven nearly choked at the amount on it.

Train let out an impressed whistle,

"_Daaaaamn_, that's enough money to pay for all the food you could ever _want_!"

"Or enough to pay Sven's medical bills," the girl quipped, handing it over to the lime-haired man,

"Which is _exactly _what we'll do with it."

The two men blinked in surprise at her sudden sternness. Sven then shook his head, his mind reeling,

"I don't get it, though. Where'd he get this kind of cash from?"

"_Stole_ it, probably," Train snorted; Eve elbowing him in the side.

She then took out the letter that was still awaiting her, and hastily opened it, reading quietly to herself...

_**'Dear, Eve. By the time you read this, I'll be long gone. Not dead, just on my way out of town. The money enclosed is what was left in Warren's bank account. Don't ask how I got it...it's better if you don't know.'**_

She groaned, her eye beginning to twitch. Perhaps Train _wasn't _wrong, after all.

Shaking her head, she continued reading...

_**'I bet you'll be wondering why I left. And it's got nothing to do with you, honest.' **_

~ø~

_**'I realised something when I thought I was dying in that cave. ...'**_

Jessica smiled as she met her friends at the school entrance, waving happily to her mother. Susan sighed as she watched the girls head in, and pulled out of the carpool lane; heading on down the street. Perhaps she'd go visit William for a bit; tell him how Sven was doing.

~ø~

A man with brown hair sat shackled on a bench, gazing at the floor. He couldn't understand why he had not been executed yet. It was infuriating to him; a slap in the face. Across the cell from him, a man with sandy blonde hair wearing a visor sat quietly. A part of him felt the same as the brown-haired man, and yet, he was also glad they were still alive...or at the very least, he was glad that his partner was still alive.

In another cell, one sealed off from the rest, a man with black hair and spectacles sat seemingly glaring at the wall. In his mind, however, he was in another world entirely...

_** 'I realised that...it's not about how much time you've got left on this Earth, but what you do with it that counts.'**_

~ø~

_**'I want to do something great...become the kind of man that my mother would have wanted me to be, that Maggie and Blanchett could look down and smile at...'**_

A raven-haired man sat alone at a table, his eyes shining sadly as a man dressed in all white walked past. He glanced over at a couple nearby. A woman with dark green hair was spoon feeding a man with silvery locks. The man held a toy train in his lap. Turning to one of the white-clad men, he cleared his throat, a string of black bangs falling in front of his eyes,

"E-Excuse me, sir? When is my wife coming to visit me? She told me she'd be here an hour ago..."

His face contorted sadly,

"It's my son's birthday today, you see...she's bringing him to visit me. He'll be six. I would hate to miss them, should visiting hours end before they arrive."

"I'm sorry, sir," the man sighed apologetically,

"I haven't heard anything about your family."

He then turned and walked away.

Jeremiah nodded, lowering his blank gaze back to the table,

"Oh...all right. Thank you, anyway."

He gasped after a moment, feeling a warm touch on his hand. Lifting his gaze, he could see that a young woman with long, brown hair was now sitting across the table from him. She wore a nurse's uniform. He smiled, tears coming to his eyes,

"Sarah...?"

The woman looked sad.

_**'...the kind of man that my father wasn't.'**_

~ø~

_**'Most of all...I want to be the kind of man who would make you proud. I'm not him, yet. I've got an awful lot of things to sort out in my head...things I can't do just by sitting around all day.'**_

A young boy with black hair gasped as a shovel landed at his feet upon entering the cemetery. He glanced up to see a cinnamon-haired boy sitting on a headstone nearby. The boy grinned, the wind causing his bangs to flutter away from his face; revealing a long scar over his left eye,

"What's the matter, _Vertical_? You look like you've seen a ghost..."

Tim smiled brightly at the boy as he stood; a shovel of his own in hand. He smirked,

"You gonna help me with this or what?"

He nodded to the headstone. Tim grinned; tears in his eyes as he picked the shovel up from the ground and hurried over to his friend,

"Of course!"

Smiling to each other, they dug their shovels into the base of a grave that beared the name;

**'Merrick W. Satcher.'**

_** 'I hope you understand.'**_

~ø~

_**'The future isn't something we can predict...it shouldn't be. I think that would take the fun out of it.'**_

In another cemetery, hidden to the general public, a memorial service was taking place. Lead by a woman with long, blonde hair; a small group of well dressed men stood around a grave site. They respectfully placed flowers around the marker, and one, a man with long, black hair, knelt down; pouring a bottle of sake on top of the headstone. It trickled down over the deceased's name,

**'VII - Jenos Hazard.'**

A woman with lavender hair watched the procession from a distance. After a moment or two, she started her car, a brand new, lipstick red Corvette, and started off down the road. In the seat beside her sat a wooden display box containing an ornately decorated glove; the number VII inscribed on the back of it's hand.

~ø~

_**'Not knowing when it's all going to end. That's what makes life so interesting; worthwhile.'**_

A man with wavy blonde hair began to cough harshly, blood splashing on to his glove as he covered his mouth. He glanced down at it with a deep sigh and frowned. It was getting worse. He straightened as he felt a hand on his arm, and glanced behind him; spotting a girl with shoulder-length black hair. The girl smiled up at him; handing him a handkerchief. With a soft blush, he took it and wiped the blood from his mouth,

"Thank you, Kyoko..."

~ø~

A periwinkle-haired boy sat in a long, white hallway; doctors and nurses silently passing him by. A few minutes passed, and a very short man with a long mustache and wild grey hair appeared,

"Are you Leon Elliott?"

Leon stood as the man approached, nodding silently. The man smiled, offering him a hand,

"Mason Ordrosso. Right this way, please."

The boy nervously followed him down the hall, Mason sighing deeply as they reached the ICU,

"We found him a few miles from the compound. He was in bad shape. The doctors have done everything they could, and now the rest is up to him. I thought maybe having some family around would help speed up his recovery."

He lead the boy to a room at the end of the hall and opened the door for him, smiling warmly,

"After you."

Nodding, Leon cautiously entered the room and stepped over to the bed. A man with short, blonde hair lay unconscious before him; hooked to numerous machines that helped him to breathe and eat. The boy smiled sadly, and took gentle hold of the man's hand,

"Hey, Spencer..."

_**'I'm sure, someday, we'll cross each other's paths again. In fact...I'll be looking forward to it.'**_

~ø~

"Until then," she read aloud, Sven and Train reading over her shoulder,

"Sincerely... Merrick Warren Satcher."

"What the_ hell_!?"

Train shrieked, snatching the letter away from her and reading over it himself,

"After all that, he just takes off without even so much as a _goodbye _to you!? Man... you sure know how to _pick_ 'em, Princess."

"He doesn't need to say goodbye," she said, snatching it back from him,

"I'll see him again."

Sven raised an eyebrow as she headed toward the door,

"How do you know?"

She smiled to herself as she opened it, the morning sun pouring in,

"I don't."

Eve turned to them, her ruby-eyes bright with excitement,

"So, let's go..."

~..ø..~

_**'"...and see for ourselves just what the future holds."'**_

_**~FIN.**_

_**10/20/2012**_

* * *

_******A/N: Well, this is it, folks. We have finally reached the end.**_

_****** It's been a nice run and I had a great time. I hope you enjoyed the story! Seriously, thank you everyone who read, reviewed, and faved. Even if you didn't review or fave, thanks for still checking this puppy out.  
**_

_**I can't thank you guys enough for sticking with me all these years.  
**_

_****__**Y'all are swell. **_  


_****__**Till we meet again,  
**_

_****__**ZTX  
**_


End file.
